2018’s Major Healthcare Legislation Themes
Beth Giesting | Jan 30, 2018 | Hawaii
Hawaii health policy and prospects for the 2018 legislature
Beth Giesting | Jan 25, 2018 | Hawaii
Hawaii Legislative Session draws to a close
Beth Giesting | May 2, 2017 | Hawaii
What’s Past is Prologue
Beth Giesting | Apr 19, 2017 | Hawaii
BH, Workforce, and a Better Health Care System for Hawaii
Beth Giesting | Apr 12, 2017 | Hawaii
Behavioral health workforce was the topic for a meeting sponsored by the Department of Labor & Industrial Relations and AHEC on April 5. The seventy attendees, who represented providers, educational institutions, insurers, and state agencies, have been grappling with these issues individually and collectively for some time, and were able
Health bills legislators will be talking about after second decking
Beth Giesting | Apr 10, 2017 | Hawaii
After the second decking on April 7, here's which health bills are still alive this legislative session. Health Insurance: SB502 extends commercial insurance benefits to cover in vitro fertilization for surrogates. Viewed as a civil rights/equality issue, coverage would be a first in the nation. SB387 requires insurers to demonstrate
Hawaii Contingency Plans for ACA Repeal
Beth Giesting | Mar 29, 2017 | Hawaii
Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 21, 2010. The very next day Republicans introduced legislation to repeal it, and when they took over as the House majority, they voted to repeal Obamacare more than 50 times. However, the House couldn’t muster a repeal vote on
Funding wish list includes the other things that make us healthy
Beth Giesting | Mar 23, 2017 | Hawaii
There’s an increasing awareness that clinical care is a relatively minor contributor to a person’s health status. Studies show that poor health is more commonly related to poverty, poor education, environmental factors, and chronic discrimination and stress. Countries that invest more in social services and education have healthier populations and
Medicaid and oral health overlooked in House budget
Beth Giesting | Mar 23, 2017 | Hawaii
While working on two State Health Innovation Plans in Hawaii, I heard over and over from providers about the problems that arise due to poor access to behavioral and oral health care. Mental health and substance abuse services are currently considered essential services and coverage parity is required, if not
Legislature considers prescriptive authority for psychologists, again
Beth Giesting | Mar 16, 2017 | Hawaii
On March 16th, the House Committee on Health considers SB384, which would provide prescriptive authority for psychologists. This is a practice approved in the Dept. of Defense health system and at least four other states. In Hawaii, prescribing psychologists would complete rigorous educational requirements (a post-doctoral master’s degree in psychopharmacology),