Monday, April 11, 2011

SB 1274 still alive, will be retroactive to January 1


The following announcement was distributed by Rafael Del Castillo:

It is time you understood something about S.B. 1274 as it goes into conference, and why it should be KILLED. It is a cruel trick on the poor and vulnerable and it is time we expressed our outrage about that.

Not only does S.B. 1274 EXCLUDE MEDICAID MEMBERS from the external review entirely, but our Senate Committee Ways and Means made the bill RETROACTIVE TO THE BEGINNING OF 2011. (only Sen. Slom voted “No”)

That means that the TWELVE cases (11 against Evercare) that are presently on file with the Insurance Division, and the EIGHT cases in internal appeals ARE DEAD THE DAY GOVERNOR ABERCROMBIE SIGNS THE BILL.

It means that pending motions on which consumers are entitled to over $40,000 in fees and costs incurred ARE ALSO DEAD.

That means OVER $60,000 people have invested in appeals IS LOST, GONE, IF GOV. ABERCROMBIE SIGNS IT THANKS TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS’ HANDOUT TO HEALTH PLANS. WAY MEAN!

THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPEALS WILL NOT ONLY LOSE THEIR RIGHT TO CONTINUE THEIR APPEALS, WHICH WERE FILED UNDER THE LAW GOVERNING THEM, BUT THEY WILL NEVER RECOVER THOSE COSTS FROM THE HEALTH PLANS EVEN THOUGH THE LAW AT THE TIME THEY WERE INCURRED INDEMNIFIED THEM FOR ENFORCING THE LAW.

HOW IS THAT FOR EQUITY? HOW IS THAT FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION?

TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE CASES PRESENTLY PENDING, I APOLOGIZE. I AM DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS BUT I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASES AND YOUR COSTS UNLESS YOU AND I CAN GET A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FIRED UP.

SO ARE YOU GOING TO LET YOUR LEGISLATURE AND THE NEW ADMINISTRATION YOU SENT TO WASHINGTON PLACE RUN OVER THE MOST VULNERABLE IN HAWAII FOR THE BENEFIT OF HEALTH PLANS? Or are you going to let them know you are outraged?

Now that things are getting down to hand-to-hand, HOW ABOUT A FEW LETTERS TO THE EDITOR?
HOW ABOUT A FEW PHONE CALLS TO LEGISLATORS AND THE GOVERNOR?

To get your message to the Governor, you can call Mike Ng, Governor’s Policy Analyst, at 808-586-0295 or email him at Michael.Ng.@hawaii.gov

HOW ABOUT ASKING YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME?

I also apologize for all of the red ink (capital letters), but red ink is what this is about. The Administration’s original bill ignored the issue of pending cases, so our SENATE Committee on Ways and Means helpfully added language the HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS lobbied for. Let them know how you feel about that.

It is time they explained to you why they voted to retroactively deprive people of rights and property.
(I am giving you email addresses, but keep in mind that emails get ignored. Calls cannot be ignored so easily. Neither can faxes.)

COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

David Y. Ige
Phone 808-586-6230 Fax 808-586-6231
E-Mail: sendige@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Michelle Kidani
Phone 808-586-7100 Fax 808-586-7109
E-Mail: senkidani@capitol.hawaii.gov

Suzanne Chun Oakland
Phone 808-586-6130 Fax 808-586-6131
E-Mail: senchunoakland@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Donovan M. Dela Cruz
Phone 808-586-6090 Fax 808-586-6091
E-Mail: sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov

J. Kalani English
Phone 808-587-7225 Fax 808-587-7230
E-Mail: senenglish@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Will Espero
Phone 808-586-6360 Fax 808-586-6361
E-Mail: senespero@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Carol Fukunaga
Phone 808-586-6890 Fax 808-586-6899
E-Mail: senfukunaga@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Gilbert Kahele
Phone 808-586-6760 Fax 808-586-6689
E-Mail: senkahele@capitol.hawaii.gov

Donna Mercado Kim
Phone 808-587-7200 Fax 808-587-7205
E-Mail: senkim@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Ronald D. Kouchi
Phone 808-586-6030 Fax 808-586-6031
E-Mail: senkouchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Pohai Ryan
Phone 808-587-8388 Fax 808-587-7240
E-Mail: senryan@capitol.hawaii.gov

Jill N. Tokuda
Phone 808-587-7215 Fax 808-587-7220
E-Mail: sentokuda@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Glenn Wakai
Phone 808-586-8585 Fax 808-586-8588
E-Mail: senwakai@capitol.hawaii.gov

The sole person you can send thank you’s for protecting your rights is Senator Slom, who voted “NO”
Sam Slom
Phone 808-586-8420 Fax 808-586-8426
E-Mail: senslom@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Ryan Yamane, House Health Chair, and Sen. Josh Green, Senate Health Chair, are expected to be the subject matter experts on the conference committee.

Let them hear how you feel about depriving people of health care and property RETROACTIVELY.

Sen. Green
Phone 808-586-9385 Fax 808-586-9391
E-Mail: sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Yamane
Phone 808-586-6150 Fax 808-586-6151
E-Mail: repyamane@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Imua! Pass it on!
Rafael del Castillo

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I'm the mom of a child with disabilities. Hannah's first neurologist said she might never develop beyond the level of a 2 month old infant, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. The brain damage was just too severe. Nine years later, she walks, uses a touchscreen computer and I've just been shown she can learn to construct sentences and do simple math with the right piece of technology. Along the way, I discovered I needed to teach myself what Hannah's rights to services really were. Learning about early intervention services led to reading about IDEA and then to EPSDT. I've been waiting for the Obama administration to realize the power and potential of EPSDT for the medical rights - including the right to stay at home with their families - of children with disabilities. The health reform people talk about long term care, and the disability people talk about education and employment, but nobody is talking about EPSDT. So I am.