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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 075 Draft 01 2002-2004 COUNTY OF HAWAi`I :STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 7S 03 A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT"hHE HEALTHY HAWAI'1 PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM. WHEREAS, the financial well being of many individuals and families in Hawai' i continues to be undermined by the high cost of prescription drugs. Act 75, Healthy Hawai' i program, which passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support in both houses in 2002 by the Hawaii state legislature and also signed into law, will alleviate the negative impact prescription drug prices are having on the quality of life for as many as 170,000 of Hawai'i's people; mid, WHEREAS, the Healthy Hawai' i program would utilize the Medicaid program to provide discounts on prescription drugs to all Hawai' i residents whose incomes are at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level This group of beneficiaries includes thousands of working families and senior citizens throughout the state. Projections indicate Healthy Hawai' i will benefit more than 150,000 I [awaC i residents; and WHEREAS, one obstacle that prevents the implementation of this much-needed program is the approval of a Medicaid waiver submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services; and WHEREAS, the Healthy Hawaii program Medicaid waiver was submitted to Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, by the State Department of Human Services; and, W HF.REAS, the Healthy Hawaii Act included an appropriation of $1.5 million to implement the program. In addition to paving start-up costs, the appropriation should reassure those responsible for its approval at the federal level that the State of Hawai' i intends to invest its own funds in this much-needed program and does not expect the federal government to be the sole funding source; and WHEREAS, even in tha event that Congress approves one of the proposed prescription drug benefit plans render Medicare, it would not solve the entire prescription drug issue in Ilawai' i, since the federal measures would only cover Medicare beneficiaries, who are all over 65 years old or disabled. Unlike Heahhy IIawai'i, which helps everyone in need regardless of age, the federal legislation would provide no relief for low-to-middle- income working families and for the elderly under the age of 65 who snake up a large portion o f those who would benefit from the Healthy Hawai i program. These people must not only deal with the high cost of living in our state and the economic downturn that has affected their household incomes, but there are also some residents who face the threw of personal bankruptcy if they are forced n~ pay the full price of the prescription medications they aced. The alternative is to neglect needed medication. NOW. THEREFORE, QE IT RESOLVED BY THF: COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that it asks Governor Linda Lingle, in the interest of the health and welfare of the people of our state, to use the power of her office and her personal powers of persuasion to strongly encourage Tommy G. "fhompson, Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to grant Hawai'i's application for a Medicaid waiver to implement this important program under Section 11 i 5 of the Social Security Act. I3E IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it encourages Governor Linda Lingle to commit and expend the $1.5 million in stag funding needed to imp]ement this program. I3E 1'f FINALLY RF.S(~LVED shat the County Clerk is directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the Honorable Linda Lingle, Governor of the State of Hawai' i, the Honorable Daniel Inouye, the Honorable Daniel Akaka, the Honorable Neil Abercrombie, the Honorable Ed Case, and Tommy G. "fhompson, Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services DATED: , Hawaii this___ day of_ , 2003. [NTRODUCED E3Y: ~ COUNCIL M ER, COUNTY OF HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL ROt.LCnLL vole County of Hawaii nvrs Noes nt~s Fx Hilo, Hawaii nRnKn~a CIIUNCi I hereby certify that the foregoing KIiSO1.UTIUN w~is by f:LARIONOFP The vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIi. of the ~ ~pLSCI-IIJI I County of I lawai`i on _ JACOBSON LGITI IFnD TODD ATTEST: RFYNOI,DS SAPARIK TYLER Reference: C-243 75 03 COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.