When asked at a House hearing yesterday if there’s Medicaid funding for another medical charter to take patients needing treatment off island, Medicaid Director Sandra King Young said they do not have a local match for a medical charter.
Her office has to wait for new funding in October when the new fiscal year starts.
A July 28 email from the coordinator of LBJ’s Off Island Medical Referral Program in response for a query from the Chairman of the House Health Committee Rep Vesi Fautanu Jr showed 81 patients needing to be referred off island. Meanwhile there were 100 patients, escorts and physicians needing to be brought home.
Testifying at the hearing were LBJ CEO Faumuina John Faumuina, Attorney General Mitzie Jessop Taase, King Young, Epidemiologist Dr Afili John Tufa and Dr. Saipale Fuimaono.
The group that’s pushing to bring home those stranded off island since borders closed in March, Tagata Tu Faatasi Alliance of American Samoa gave a report to the committee showing 332 stranded residents.
There are 69 senior citizens, 208 adults, 50 children and 5 infants. 39% are stuck in Hawaii, 15% in California, 15% in Utah, 14% in Washington State, 7% in Nevada, 4% in Arkansas, 2% each in Oregon and Texas and 1% in Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, Ohio North Carolina Montana, Idaho and Minnesota. ]Three people are stuck in Germany.
Rep Gafatasi Afalava and several others sai the territory has been blessed with millions of COVID-19 funding an the government has had 7 month to provide facilities, personnel and supplies to respond to the pandemic. He said, “We cannot ignore and forget our people who are stranded off island. They are our people.”
He urged ASG officials present at the hearing not to be afraid to make bold decisions.
He pointed to Samoa which acted quickly to bring home its citizens who were stuck in New Zealand.
Rep Tiaoalii Fau Sai said just as important as bringing those stranded off island home is taking off island patients who cannot be treated here. He said if there’s no medical charter, the 100 patients would just be waiting for the will of God to be done.
DOH Epidemiologist Dr. Aifili John Tufa informed lawmakers that with the spike in coronavirus cases and deaths in Hawaii the federal government is now looking at going into the state to take charge of the COVID-response.
He also drew lawmakers’ attention to information about the virus which he says is not widely reported in the media.
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Attorney General Mitzie Jessop Taase was advised to review the administration’s use of funding from the CARES Act for compliance so that the incoming government will not have to pay back any disallowed spending. Tuala-uta Representative Larry Sanitoa pointed to $7 million worth of spending which he found questionable.
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Sanitoa said the incoming administration would be faced with paying back unauthorized spending just like the $500,000 which the Inspector General’s Office of US Treasury said the Fono has to pay back.
Sanitoa said some of this $7 million could be used to pay for a medical charter or for COVID-19 testing.
