Kokua Line
By June Watanabe
Wednesday, October 7, 1998
Kokua Line
I got a notice for jury duty. I called to see if I could be excused because I'm a full-time student and was told that I still had to go in the first day and get excused by the judge. Is that the only way I can get excused? Only a judge can excuse
students from jury dutyYes, according to Nathaniel Kim, the Judiciary's chief court administrator.
That's because a lot of people summoned for jury duty ask to be excused.
As it is, "We do have students who serve on juries," Kim said.
At one time, deferments were granted to students during the summer.
"But a concern was raised that it seemed to place an inordinate amount of students serving on juries in a given time," Kim said. "The juries looked like they were weighted with too many students."
I have a problem with the state's Med-Quest program. They are asking us to verify our eligibility within 10 days. How am I supposed to do this? On the form, it says they have workers to help us if we don't understand. But when I called, they told me they don't have enough workers so I have to come in myself. If I can't come in within 10 days, will I lose my eligibility? The bottom line is, why only give us 10 days? I assume other people have the same problem.
We assume you are referring to the eligibility review form to review your income and assets.
Med-Quest's Eligibility Branch, for the past three months, has been working to bring all eligibility reviews up-to-date, said administrator Ann G. Tam Sing. Because of a backlog, and assuming you were sent the form at the end of September, you will be given until the end of October to return it.
The 10-day period is set by law, she said.
However, "We are trying to catch up with our eligibility reviews -- a lot of them are overdue because we have been short-staffed," Tam Sing said.
If you don't turn your form in, "We will shut (your) case down," she said. You then will be sent a letter stating that fact. If you comply by the end of the month, "We will reinstate (if you are still eligible) and relook at (your) case."
Tam Sing said she realizes it may be difficult for clients, but federal law requires the reviews. "It's just that we've been backlogged on our work and haven't been able to do it," she said.
"Once they're on (Med-Quest) doesn't mean they're on forever."
What is the penalty if a person receives another person's mail and doesn't return it?
There's no way to track something like this, so there's really no penalty per se, said Lynne Moore, director of consumer affairs and complaints for the U.S. Postal Service in Hawaii.
"If someone gets somebody's mail, we just hope that customers have the courtesy to return it," she said. "It's just common courtesy."
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
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