Hawaii took the "big first steps" toward long-term care for the aging population with two new state laws, first lady Vicky Cayetano said. New long-term
care laws praised2 laws create a fund for
long-term care taxes and
a summit to study servicesBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comCayetano strongly lobbied legislators to approve her original bill, which imposed a $10 monthly tax on all Hawaii workers but ran into opposition, and the bill was passed without funding.
"And thank you for all your support, hon," she told Gov. Ben Cayetano at a signing ceremony yesterday which also included a bill that raised taxes on cigarettes.
The governor said that in his 28 years in public service, the issue of long-term health care has been one of the most difficult he has faced and something he has worked on for a long time.
He repeated the story yesterday about how he and his brother took care of their ailing father, Bonifacio, who in the last few years of his life suffered from dementia. It was a challenging time, and he got to experience firsthand what families go through when they care for their elderly parents, he said.
"So this is really very, very important for the citizens and the families, as well," the governor said.
The new laws create a fund in which yet-to-be-enacted long-term care taxes will be deposited and establish a six-member board to oversee it. The laws also task the state Executive Office on Aging to convene a long-term care summit to identify types, quality and delivery of long-term care services.
Opponents had argued the program was unnecessary because private long-term care insurance is affordable and available. And they complained the original $10 monthly tax came at the worst time for Hawaii's workers. That proposed tax was eventually removed from the bill.
Nevertheless, Hawaii's high life longevity means caregivers will need more help as the years pass. For example, between 1990 and 1999, the number of Hawaii residents age 75 or older increased by 62 percent, while those between the ages of 65 and 74 increased by 13 percent, said Dennis Arakaki (D, Kalihi Valley), House Health Committee chairman.
"Now is the time to show the nation and the rest of the world what it is to have a society and a government that honors its elders with care and compassion in the truest sense of aloha," Arakaki said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Cayetano approved a bill that increases the cigarette tax to $1.40 from $1 in two years. The law increases per-cigarette taxes to 6 cents from 5 cents on Sept. 30, to 6.5 cents on June 30, 2003, and to 7 cents on June 30, 2004.
Marilyn Lee, House majority floor leader, said people should not view the increase as a new tax, but as a preventive measure to help with the negative effects of cigarette smoking.
Six states have increased taxes on cigarettes this year. Maryland's 34-cent-per-pack increase will help fund a $1.3 billion education initiative, while New York's 39-cent-per-pack increase will fund pay raises for health care workers.