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■ a NO . <br /> 1 However, the crisis in health care in the United States has also befallen Hawaii. Today. <br /> 2 thousands of Hawaii citizens lack health care coverage, many of whom are children. Many other <br /> 3 Hawaii residents are underinsured, unable to use their insurance properly, or even at all. because <br /> 4 of increasingly expensive deductibles and out-of-pocket co-payments for outpatient visits. <br /> 5 diagnostic tests, and prescription drugs, among other factors under Affordable Care Act plans <br /> 6 purchased on the individual market and Medicare plans. Even well-insured individuals experience <br /> 7 problems with their insurers denying. or very reluctantly dispensing. expensive m medicines and <br /> 8 treatments. About half of all bankruptcies are due to extremely expensive, catastrophic illnesses <br /> 9 that are not covered after a certain cap is reached. Other persons are near bankruptcy with their <br /> 10 quality of life seriously impacted. <br /> 11 The legislature further finds that a universal, publicly administered, health care-for-all <br /> 12 insurance model with a single-payer or all-payer system for caregivers and providers,adapted to meet <br /> 13 the unique conditions in Hawaii. would be beneficial for the following reasons: <br /> 14 (1) For union members and their employers. it means taking health care off the negotiating <br /> 15 table; <br /> 16 (2) For patients, as taxpayers and insurance premium-payers, it means significant <br /> 17 reductions in overall costs, increases in benefits, and the slowing of annual inflation cost <br /> 18 increases. It also means a comeback from increasingly uncaring, profit-driven health care to the <br /> 19 <br /> 2 <br />