The controversial health program was put on hold last year by federal court orders when challenged by community and patient complaints. While the revised Basic Health Hawaii plan addresses some of the issues, such as finding sources for dialysis and chemotherapy services, what has not changed is the continued lack of information and communication from the Human Services, say Micronesian advocates.
At a meeting in Honolulu Friday night, members of the Micronesian Community Network voiced this concern and discussed legal representation in a possible challenge once the law goes into effect on July 1. Critics say that the change from Hawaii’s QUEST program still shortchanges the migrants of medical services and sideswipes a needy population.
In January’s DHS public hearing on the new rule, participants were limited by lack of interpreters, reported layer Elizabeth Dunne to Radio Australia. Hearing documents were not translated into Marshallese, Chuukese or any of the other FAS languages, which was one of the original complaints in 2009.
Another DHS public hearing on June 3 was to introduce an amendment for eligibility. The notice also stipulated that “all deemed individuals shall be sent a written notice mailed at least twenty-one days prior to the implementation date that they are being deemed into Basic Health Hawaii.”
The DHS launch announcement on June 14, only 15 days before program implementation, said that “COFA immigrants” could call DHS Customer Service (toll-free at 1-800-316-8005) or one of the BHH health plansfor more information and interpreter services were available for non-English speakers.
The FAS citizens come legally to Hawaii and other states under a special and unique political relationship which provides the U.S. with military and defense rights within the region and the three Compact nations with financial assistance. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau, as non-immigrants, are entitled to travel, work, and reside, without visas and time limitations, as non-immigrants.
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