State of Hawaii Archives: on Health Care

Andria Tupola: No Medicaid expansion with unfunded mandates

A: No. The billions-of-dollars burden that past administrations have put on the state budget with unfunded mandates not only places a burden on our youth, but limits the state's ability to expand programs such as these for our elderly.

Q: Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?

A: No.

Q: Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?

A: No. I do not support euthanasia because it is illegal throughout the US. The only conversations around this issue are in regards to physician-assisted suicide.

Q: Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?

A: No.

Ron Curtis: Affordable health care for all calls for effective planning

David Ige: Move management of public hospitals to private sector

Cam Cavasso: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Cavasso: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Cavasso: Strongly Agree

David Ige: Supports employer-mandated health care insurance law

I will seek to correct an error of the current Governor, who failed to request regulatory flexibility for the requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act that weaken Hawai'i's Prepaid Health Care Law. Our Hawai'i Health Connector received a $205 million grant from the federal government, but has been a disaster. The Connector unworkable on the day it was scheduled to start, and, nine months later, the Connector has enrolled less than 1% of the population. There are better alternatives to covering Hawai'i's uninsured residents.

David Ige: Support unfunded liabilities for State Union Health Benefits

IGE: Last year Hawaii became the first state in the country to enact a plan for handling unfunded liabilities for the State Employer Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

ABERCROMBIE: The Employer-Union Trust Fund (EUTF) has never been prefunded until my administration came into office. With our financial turnaround of the state's finances, we've started to put money back into the EUTF to address its unfunded liabilities. Working with the Legislature, we passed Act 268 in 2013 to statutorily establish an annual required contribution. Hawaii was one of the first states to really address the unfunded liability for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB).

David Ige: We have failed to execute the Hawaii Health Connector

"In other words, the legislature created the Health Connector. All I can do is execute what the legislature tells me to do," Abercrombie responded.

Eddie Pirkowski: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Pirkowski: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Pirkowski: Strongly Agree

John Carroll: Don't mandate insurance, but don't repeal ObamaCare

A: No.

Q: Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance, as mandated in the 2010 Affordable Care Act?

A: No.

Duke Aiona: No public option; no individual mandate

A: No.

Q: Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?

A: Yes.

Q: Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance?

A: No.

Q: Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?

A: Yes.

Aiona adds, "My vision is for Hawai'i's citizens to lead healthy, productive lives with access to affordable, high-quality health care that is available to all and where a healthy lifestyle is the norm. To achieve this goal, I'll pursue policies that focus on prevention rather than just treatment of illnesses. I'll work to expand health care options available to Hawai'i's families and encourage a greater number of providers to ensure we have a competitive market that gives our citizens meaningful choices when choosing insurance. And I'll pursue programs that increase our supply of well-trained physicians, nurses and health care professionals."

Linda Lingle: State QUEST program instead of ObamaCare

Governors across the country have consistently stated that states need the flexibility to adjust their Medicaid programs so they can deliver quality health care to patients at a reasonable and sustainable price. Hawai`i has already undertaken health care reforms. Specifically, our QUEST Medicaid program, which the federal government estimates has saved nearly $700 million by instituting cost-efficiency measures, provides quality health care to low-income men, women and children. Hawai`i needs the freedom to continue these reforms. We don't need restrictions in the form of unfunded federal mandates.

Daniel Akaka: Advocate for expanding and improving Medicaid and Medicare

Ed Case: Let small businesses pull together resources in health plans

Ed Case: Support drugs re-importation and bulk purchases of drugs

Cynthia Thielen: Voted YES on prohibiting smoking in public places

Establishes a new chapter that protects the public health and welfare by prohibiting smoking in places open to the public and places of employment, ensuring a consistent level of basic protections statewide from exposure to secondhand smoke. Effective date November 16, 2006.

Benjamin Cayetano: $141M for new medical school at University of Hawaii