Prescriptions under Medicaid not for profit

While it may be appropriate to investigate doctors who appear to be prescribing excessive quantities of abusable drugs such as narcotic painkillers, I find it alarming that the Hawaii Medicaid program is going after doctors for prescribing anti-psychotic medications that are not considered to be drugs of abuse ("State cuts doctors from Medicaid," Star-Advertiser, March 27).

Doctors do not profit from prescribing these drugs, and if a doctor appears to be prescribing them inappropriately, this would be better dealt with through peer review than punitive measures and sanctions.

Hawaii’s Medicaid-managed care program has already driven most private practice psychiatrists away from accepting new Medicaid patients, and our streets and public housing are already full of severely psychotic patients who would benefit from antipsychotic medications, but who cannot find any doctor willing to accept their Medicaid insurance.

With this sort of publicity, it will be harder than ever to find any doctors willing to treat the sickest and most disturbed psychiatric patients in our community, leaving the mentally ill and the public at unnecessarily high risk.

Stephen Kemble
Makiki

Where’s the governor we voted for in 2010?

What happened to the guy we voted for governor in 2010?

The guy in the governor’s office is obviously an impostor.

The Neil Abercrombie we voted for had the interests of the people of Hawaii first.He was against frivolous expenditures and against overdevelopment.

This Neil sold us out.

The old Neil would never waste money. He would allocate more money to fix the roads, which have completely gone to pot. He would be against building mega-skyrises for the rich and against developers making buku bucks off these developments.

Somehow the current governor seems to have forgotten why people voted for him in the first place.

Many must feel that he is no better than the previous Republican governor and at times worse.

I hope that somebody steps up and runs for the people in 2014. This governor is out of touch with the people of Hawaii.

Stan Sano
Honolulu

Make sure new panel is conflict-free, open

As a volunteer for one of the consumer organizations opposing the nominations of insurance representatives to Hawaii Health Connector, I’m most concerned aboutconflict of interest and lack of public accountability.

At the Senate confirmation hearing for nominees to the Connector board, I was both surprised and disappointed to see that Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee Chairwoman Sen. Rosalyn Baker was unwilling to grant equal time to hear the views of those who opposed the appointments of the insurers.

Why are officials who presumably have the backs of Hawaii consumers so reluctant to hear the views of those who see the danger of conflict of interest on the board?

Should the Senate confirm the nominees, the state should do whatever is necessary to ensure that those with conflicts of interest disclose those conflicts and abstain from relevant board discussions.

Additionally, to ensure accountability, the board should abide by state open meeting laws and hold public hearings on all its activities.

Barbara J. Service
AARP volunteer, Honolulu

Obamacare is going to push costs higher

Since 2003, premiums for my small business basic health plan (the minimum required by the Hawaii pre-paid health care law) have increased by 98.84 percent.

From 2007 to this year, in five years, they have increased by almost 50 percent, from $307 to $460 monthly.And, I have absolutely no control over it or any choice about it.

Personally, I think this is a direct result of two main factors: government-mandated coverage for all full-time workers and lack of competi- tion in the market.

Businesses have to pass these costs on. Every citizen in the state pays for these costs in goods and services.Where does it stop?

Just try to imagine what’s going to happen when Obamacare comes about in 2014 and 100,000 more unemployed and uninsured are required to be covered. Auwe!

Kathy Leong
Niu Valley

TheBus should allow riders to have luggage

I’m trying to do my part here for a greener Hawaii and have been wondering why TheBus does not allow at least one piece of luggage on the airport route.

The bus baggage rules allow bags and other carry-on items that can be stored under the passenger’s seat or on the passenger’s lap. I can understand why this might be important on most routes, but it seems illogical that you would not be able to bring at least one piece of baggage (such as a roll-aboard that does not fit under your seat or in your lap) on a route that serves the airport.

I am a retiree of the airlines and travel quite a bit and am always having to bother friends or relatives for a ride to or from the airport because of this bus rule. Other major cities in the U.S. and the world allow baggage on their public transit system. It makes me wonder why Honolulu cannot make this work.

Gayle Lanthier
Waialae-Kahala

Liberals just ignore constitutional issues

The two commentaries on whether or not Obamacare should be upheld inform perfectly on how conservatives and liberals view the same political issue ("Should Obamacare be repealed?" Star-Advertiser, March 27).

The article by Grace-Marie Turner, who is associated with the pharmaceutical and medical industries, argues that Obamacare violates the Constitution in a number of ways, including overreaching the Commerce Clause and infringement on states’ rights guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment. This approach seems appropriate, given that the issue is before the Supreme Court, whose main job is to evaluate the constitutionality of the issues that come before it.

The article by U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey, president of the liberal Americans for Democratic Action, ignores the Constitution and argues that the law should stand because health care is a society-wide need properly met by the government. Supporters of Obamacare should be thankful that Woolsey is not arguing the case before the court.

Tom Freitas
Hawaii Kai

Put your money where your mouth is

People rush to Walmart and other big-box stores to buy all the wonderful cheap merchandise made mostly in foreign countries.

But when small businesses close, including the mom-and-pop stores they were raised with, you hear:"Awwww, that was my favorite store since I was a kid. It’s so sad; what happened to them?"

Kenneth L. Barker
Hawaii Kai