Editorial
Dental clinic gets a welcome rescue

It's a relief that Gov. Ben Cayetano has found $200,000 in state money to keep the dental clinic at the Queen's Medical Center, which serves poor and seriously ill patients, open for another year.

For the second time, Queen's said it would be forced to close the facility because it's losing money. That's partly because the federal government has reduced Medicare and Medicaid payments for services rendered by the clinic.

The clinic services O'ahu's poor, as well as seriously ill patients, such as those with cancer or cardiac conditions, or those requiring major dental surgery.

The congressional delegation should continue to see if exceptions to Medicare and Medicaid rules can be obtained because of the lack of alternatives.

The state, meanwhile, has properly stepped in after asking itself what the closure of this clinic would mean to Hawai'i's claim to be the "Health State." Such critical thinking shows a need for a limited state subsidy.

We're not advocating support of a hospital's profitability, but assurance that necessary care is available in this state.