The Hawaiian State government has been requiring employers to provide health insurance to their employees for nearly 35 years. Since 1975, the state of Hawaii has required that employers cover all employees that work 20 hours a week or more. As a result, almost 90 percent of Hawaiian have health insurance.
The Nation's Longest Life Expectancy
One of the most positive aspects of Hawaii's health care system is Hawaii's residents have the longest life expectancy in the country, at 80 years. According to the CIA World Factbook the United States ranks 50th overall in life expectancy at 78 years. Additionally, according to Gardiner Harris' article in The New York Times, "Hawaii has the nation's highest incidence of breast cancer but the lowest death rate from the disease."
Great Results and Low Costs
In spite of being a state with a high cost of living, Hawaii is one of the least expensive states when it comes to health care costs. Hawaii has the lowest Medicare costs in the country and is second only to North Dakota in terms of health insurance premiums.
How are Costs Contained?
Under Hawaiian law, employers must provide standardized health plans with low co-pays, no deductibles and limited out of pocket expenses. Cliff Cisco, a senior vice president of the Hawaiian Medical Service Association, told The New York Times, "that having a standardized and popular benefit has helped keep administrative costs to just seven percent of revenue, among the lowest in the nation." Costs are also contained because Hawaiians use fewer health services than other Americans.
Problems with the Program
The Hawaiian health care system is not without its problems especially as the unemployment rate rises as a result of the recession. Currently, 10.7 percent of non-elderly adults do not have health insurance in Hawaii. In addition, many of Hawaii's rural regions are underserved because it is harder for the smaller hospitals that operate in these areas to make money and attract doctors.
Hawaii vs the Rest of US
Although Hawaii's health care system has its problems, it seems to be performing better than the rest of the nation. The United States, according to a recent World Health Organization report, ranks first in national health care spending, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, and ranks 37th in overall performance. Based on those numbers mainlanders might want to learn some lessons from Hawaii's islanders.
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