Environment

Education

Economy

Healthcare

Your Ideas

Affordable Health Care

 

Understanding the reasons for and decreasing the skyrocketing costs of health care are complex problems. One measure to assist with the high cost is to exempt over-the-counter drug purchases and medical services from the general excise tax.  Another way to reduce the costs of health care is to focus on prevention, wellness, and patient self-management of health risks and diseases that afflict many in our community such as diabetes.  Della will support legislation that promotes healthy lifestyles and encourages the development of comprehensive health care approaches to improve people’s lives and reduce the overall costs of health care.

 

 

Long-term Care and Planning

 

In 2000, 13.6% of Hawaii’s population was 65 years of age or older.  By the year 2020, the number of people 65 years or older is expected to increase 200%.  In light of this statistic, it comes as no surprise that caring for aging family members is a reality experienced by more and more residents in this State.  To assist the elderly and all families to plan for the future, Della will advocate for programs that seek to educate the public about the various options available to them and their loved ones.

 

As the demand for long-term care increases and puts pressure on health care providers, more needs to be done to ensure that there are facilities and providers to assist those in need.  Alarmingly, Hawaii has fewer than half the national average of long term care beds per 1,000 of the population aged 65 or older.  Options are not, however, limited to nursing facilities as we have seen the development of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care homes, adult day care centers, and home health agencies.  Della will support the entrepreneurial efforts of health care providers and the industry as a whole to increase the capacity of the community to serve the needs of the elderly.  She will also support measures that provide protection for the consumer by requiring health care providers to adhere to the high standards of care expected in the industry.