2020-03-13 Letter to John Mizuno and Bertrand Kobayashi SB 2542, SD2 Relating to the General Excise Tax Exemptions

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a;+11....f............ Roy Takemoto S-- . Managing Director ,If$ Harry Kim �•. s. :* Mayor ��= \TE' F 1,1h- Barbara J.Kossow Deputy Managing Director County of Hawai`i Office of the Mayor 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C • Kailua-Kona,Hawaii 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 March 13, 2020 Representative John M. Mizuno, Chair Representative Bertrand Kobayashi, Vice Chair Committee on Health Hawaii State Legislature Dear Chair Mizuno, Vice-Chair Kobayashi, and Committee Members: RE: SB 2542, SD2 Relating to the General Excise Tax Exemptions. At a time when our citizenry is uniquely aware of the vital role our healthcare providers play, I appreciate this opportunity to testify on a crucial issue facing our State. "Making Hawaii a nice place to live" is simple to say, and almost too obvious a goal to highlight, but nevertheless that phrase sums up the most important task facing our elected community leaders. For this reason alone, I want to thank and praise any effort to deal with one of the most critical issues that we must confront, and that is the crisis in our healthcare system caused by our healthcare provider shortage. We are justly proud of the Hawaii Prepaid Healthcare Act, but how valuable is insurance if you cannot find a provider? How can we expect our people, especially our aging population, to live comfortably, if they believe that quality healthcare is only available if they have the time and ability to travel to the mainland? How can we attract more providers when they realize that they will be expected to work extraordinary hours because there is not a reasonable number of other providers to share the burden? And the ramifications are important, too. To what extent do we limit our primary economic driver, tourism, when visitors are warned "Don't get sick in Hawaii"? I am not smart enough to know how to entirely solve our provider shortage. However, I am told, and do believe, that eliminating the General Excise Tax on healthcare services would be a very positive step in improving the economics for healthcare providers, thereby encouraging existing providers to stay in practice and enticing new providers to join us. County of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.