Working for Quality Health Care
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Working for Quality Health Care One of Congresswoman Hirono’s greatest fears as a child was that her mother – the family’s sole breadwinner – would get sick and not be able to go to work. And if she couldn’t work, the family would have no money. As a family with no insurance, doctor’s visits were often out of reach. That’s why Congresswoman Hirono believes access to quality, affordable health care is critical to the well being of America. Central to this is addressing the needs of the 46 million uninsured Americans, strengthening Medicare, providing health insurance to our low-income children, funding cutting-edge research into cures for diseases, and giving patients the clout to challenge the decisions of health insurers. Only through action on these critical issues can we meet the pressing health care concerns of our nation. Working For Hawaii • Protecting Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act. When the House of Representatives was debating health care reform, Congresswoman Hirono worked to educate the members of her committee and colleagues about the importance of protecting Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act. She offered an amendment to protect Hawaii’s law during consideration of health care reform by the Education and Labor Committee. The Hirono amendment was included in the House’s version of the bill. Senators Inouye and Akaka were able to negotiate for a similar measure in the Senate’s bill. As a result, working together, Hawaii’s Pre-Paid Health Care Act was protected in the final health reform law signed by President Obama. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act establishes health care reform in a way that reduces the deficit, provides stability and security for Americans who currently have health insurance, and an affordable, quality option for those without coverage. This law stops insurance companies from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition—including thousands of children in Hawaii. It stops the insurance companies from saying that being a woman is a pre-existing condition and we can charge you more. It enabled 56,000 seniors in the Second Congressional District to receive Medicare preventative services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductive discount; and provided 10,000 seniors in the district with prescription drug discounts worth $3.1 million. Now, young people can stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26, an important reform that has provided 2,600 young adults in the congressional district with health insurance. • Combating Autism: One in every 110 American children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, making it the nation's fastest-growing, serious developmental disorder. Like Adam, a 4-year-old boy from Kailua. Adam barely spoke as a toddler. Thanks to his mother’s and his teacher’s persistence, Adam was tested to find why his development was delayed. Diagnosed with a form of autism, Adam began getting the intensive speech and behavioral training he needed. Today, he’s speaking and playing with his peers. Helping families like Adam’s is why Congresswoman Hirono signed on as a cosponsor of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act. This bill funds biomedical research while also providing funding for states to develop autism screening, early diagnosis, and intervention programs for children. President Obama signed the bill into law on September 30, 2011. • Battling Breast Cancer: For far too long, breast cancer has inflicted pain and heartbreak on American families. Native Hawaiian and Samoan women have some of the highest rates of breast cancer death of all groups in the United States. To address this issue, Congresswoman Hirono cosponsored the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. This program is designed to increase access to and improve the quality of breast and cervical cancer screening nationwide. In particular, it serves low-income, uninsured, or underinsured women, by providing services such as mammograms, pap tests, pelvic examinations, and diagnostic testing. This bill was signed into law by President Obama, authorizing the program for another five years. Congresswoman Hirono also cosponsored the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act, which was signed into law in October 2008. This bill authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors that may be related to the cause of breast cancer. She cosponsored legislation to renew a special U.S. Postal Service stamp that invests in breast cancer research. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp has raised more than $74 million for research since 1998. Partial proceeds from stamp sales are designated to the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program at the U.S. Department of Defense. • Supporting Rural Health Care: As a member of the House Rural Health Care Coalition, Congresswoman Hirono cosponsored the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2008, which amends the Public Health Service Act to provide additional funding for the health centers program. Currently, 13 health center grantees care for more than 130,000 people and support almost 1,300 jobs in Hawaii. These health centers are especially needed in Congresswoman Hirono’s rural district where medically underserved populations are located. • Supporting Our Students: Before passage of the Affordable Care Act, young adults could only be covered by their parents’ health insurance if they were full-time students. However, if they became seriously ill, they’d have to make the tough decision to remain in school carrying a full school load while receiving treatment or paying hundreds more each month to stay on their parents’ insurance. Congresswoman Hirono saw this as a cruel choice and cosponsored Michelle’s Law, which allows students to take one year of medical leave for a serious illness without losing their health insurance. This bill was signed into law by President Obama. Helping Hawaii's Families Since 2007, Congresswoman Hirono and her staff have assisted more than 5,000 residents with a wide range of cases. She was able to help residents receive more than $350,000 in Social Security and Medicare benefits during the first six months of 2012 alone. • On Kauai, a Medicare patient in Kapaa required hospital treatment after she fell in her home. Two months later, she was stunned to receive a bill for $20,000. The hospital miscoded her treatment and Medicare declined to cover all of the procedures. An inquiry from Congresswoman Hirono to Medicare launched the correction process, which led to the woman’s charges being paid in full. • Dr. David Arthurs, a Hawaii Island physician, faced three months of unpaid Medicare claims that cost the practice $46,000 and put at risk its service of Medicare patients. Congresswoman Hirono reached out to Medicare and the problem was resolved within three weeks. For more than five decades, The Arc of Hilo has worked to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through training and employment and residential opportunities on Hawaii Island. Of residents ages 16-64, 18% have a disability and the majority of those are prevented from working due to their disability. Through its program, The Arc is able to reduce incidents of depression, poor health, exclusion, discrimination, poverty, and substance abuse among this vulnerable population. Since its beginning, more than 1,000 local residents have been trained and placed in jobs. As of January 2012, The Arc serves more than 200 residents. It has seen a tremendous growth in jobs created for its clients. To keep up with client demand, the staff of The Arc increased from 35 to 125 employees in the past eight years. This growth has meant that the organization outgrew the space it had been located in for more than 25 years. To help The Arc with its construction of a new space, Congresswoman Hirono was able to help secure a federal investment for the organization. |
