Universal health care
appears dead in House

A legislator refuses to hear a
new Senate bill with the proposal

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By B.J. Reyes
Associated Press

A proposal to establish a universal health care system in Hawaii appears headed for defeat in the state House for a second time.

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House Labor Chairman Marcus Oshiro, whose committee tabled a House version of the plan last month, refused on Tuesday to hear a Senate bill that was gutted last week and amended to include the proposal.

"I agree ... that there's a need for the Legislature to address the growing need for affordable and accessible health care in our state," said Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Poamoho). "However, the proposal that was reported from the committee on health recommended the complete elimination of the present health care system.

"It was the chair's belief then, as it is now, that it would be premature and, more importantly, possibly irresponsible to allow this measure to proceed."

Without being heard, the measure would die in committee. To move forward, it would need to be pulled from the Labor Committee by a floor vote approved by one-third, or 17, of the 51 House members.

House Health Chairman Dennis Arakaki gutted the Senate bill last week and inserted the universal care proposal, saying he wanted to "give it another shot."

"Unless the Legislature addresses these issues, we're sort of putting our heads in the sand and waiting until things become critical," said Arakaki (D, Alewa Heights-Kalihi).

The House proposal would create a state health authority to collect payments from all sources -- private employers, Medicaid, public employee plans, the state's QUEST plan and the medical parts of homeowners, automobile and workers compensation plans -- into a single $5 billion pool to buy medical coverage for everyone.

Arakaki, who sponsored the bill, called it "a work in progress." But Oshiro criticized Arakaki for raising the issue again after the measure was shelved.

"By reporting this measure out, the chair of health gave the public an unrealistic expectation that this bill would proceed this year," Oshiro said. "From my discussion with my fellow colleagues in the House, there are many, many who share my concerns on this measure, and I agree that the best course of action is to further study this concept."

Arakaki noted that House lawmakers have before them a resolution that would convene a task force to study health care issues.