HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0860.001 2018-2020 picouttiC,O' t. 8
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COUNTY OF' HAW 6
Sun 4/5/2020 1:22 PM } -6 , I: 56
Doctor shortage in Hawaii
To: Council Testimony
Aloha- When you meet with Senator Brian Schatz, could you please discuss the shortage of
doctors? Here's some information:
HAWAII NEEDS MORE DOCTORS: What can be done to retain medical people in the Islands?
We lose retirees because the quality of medical care is so patchy on the outer islands. There is
always a shortage of doctors.
THREE IDEAS TO RETAIN DOCTORS:
1) Have our US Congressmen and women negotiate to include Hawaii in the same class as
California for Medicare reimbursement. Right now we are included with rural areas such as
Guam and Louisiana, who have a much less expensive standard of living. This is why doctors
can't stay in Hawaii. The reimbursement rate is only 92% of the actual cost.
2) If the Hawaii State legislature could put money to create an annuity to pay a stipend to each
doctor. This would level the field so they could get paid the same as their peers on the
mainland.
3) The Legislature and Local Chambers of Commerce could fund partial scholarships for
medical students that would stay for 4 years in the islands for loan forgiveness. This has been
done on Indian Reservations for years.
"The report by the Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment Project found more than 150 doctors left
the state in 2019,The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday.
Another 91 physicians retired while 123 decreased their work hours, with the highest shortages happening
in primary care, the report said.
The decrease represents about 8%of Hawaii's physician workforce.
Hawaii needs to add as many as 820 doctors to a pool of 3,484 physicians actively providing care to
satisfy the need for services, the report said.
The physician population in Hawaii is aging. Not enough new doctors are being recruited, with about half
of active physicians aged at least 55 while nearly I in 4 are age 65 or older, the report said.
The shortages mean people throughout the state are waiting longer for health care and at times facing life-
threatening consequences, said Dr. Kelley Withy, lead investigator for the report.
Doctors leave Hawaii for a variety of reasons, including the high cost of living and lower
average pay, limited job prospects for spouses and dissatisfaction with the medical community.
Withy said." https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/hawaii/articles/2019-12-26/hawaii-
experiencing-shortage-as-more-doctors-leave-state
Mahalo-
Debbie Hecht
Comm. NR "(0O' I
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Ref.To: I Du
Ref. Date APR - 8 2020