THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

52

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING CONGRESS TO APPROPRIATE ADEQUATE FINANCIAL IMPACT ASSISTANCE FOR HAWAII'S FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES CITIZENS.

 

WHEREAS, the Compact of Free Association is an agreement established in 1986 between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and in 1994 with the Republic of Palau; and

WHEREAS, under the Compact, the United States provides direct economic assistance, federal services, and military protection to these nations, in exchange for defense rights; and

WHEREAS, citizens of these Freely Associated States (FAS) are also allowed to migrate to the United States without visa or other immigration requirements; and

WHEREAS, over 6,000 FAS citizens have migrated to and are currently residing in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Compact's enabling legislation authorizes federal compensation for impact costs incurred by United States areas, including Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, since 1986, Hawaii has spent over $40 million on health, education, and other social services for FAS residents; and

WHEREAS, despite annual impact reports by Governor Cayetano to the United States Department of the Interior and requests for federal assistance, Hawaii has only received $4 million; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's health care system has been enormously impacted by the costs of medical services provided to its FAS residents; and

WHEREAS, since 1996, Hawaii has not been entitled to federal funds for FAS related Medicaid costs; and

WHEREAS, from 1998 to 2001, state Medicaid payments to medical providers totaled approximately $12.4 million; and

WHEREAS, private hospitals have amassed staggering debts and write-offs resulting from medical services to FAS citizens, in spite of state Medicaid reimbursements; and

WHEREAS, the Queen's Medical Center alone has incurred operating losses of $16 million between 1995 and 1999, and is owed over $11 million by Compact of Free Association nations; and

WHEREAS, community health centers estimate an annual cost of $420,000 for services to FAS residents; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health has also been significantly impacted by costs of public health services to FAS migrants; and

WHEREAS, between 1998 and 2001, the Communicable Diseases Division has spent $967,000 on screening, vaccination, and treatment for Hansen's Disease, tuberculosis, and Hepatitis B; and

WHEREAS, public health nursing has incurred costs of approximately $190,000 between 1998 and 1999 for immunization, outreach, and other services to this population; and

WHEREAS, inadequate and delayed federal compensation threaten to overwhelm Hawaii's health care system, leading to potential cutbacks in medical services and personnel that would impact all of Hawaii's citizens; and

WHEREAS, FAS residents may face unfair criticism and refusal of medical services from medical providers; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that Hawaii be granted immediate and substantial federal assistance to meet these mounting costs; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the House of Representatives concurring, that Congress is requested to appropriate adequate financial impact assistance for health, education, and other social services for Hawaii's Freely Associated States citizens; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, and the Director of Health.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: Requesting Congress to appropriate adequate financial impact assistance for Hawaii's Freely Associated States citizens