Health centers' money cut
| • | Repeal of health coverage law not a goal |
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
The Lingle administration is cutting $1.6 million from the budgets of the state's 10 community health centers, a move that center officials say will reduce services to many uninsured people.
Richard Bettini, chief executive officer of the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, said he received a phone call yesterday from state Health Director Chiyome Fukino saying that the cuts were made because "the entire appropriation was needed to balance the budget." The cuts are for the current 2002-2003 fiscal year.
May Akamine, executive director of the Kalihi-Palama Health Center, said $500,000 is being cut from her center. She said 67 percent of the center's patients are uninsured and estimates 10,000 people would be affected in some way.
"There's no way we can operate with a deficit of half a million dollars," she said.
Bettini said the Wai'anae center will absorb $425,000 in cuts. Part of that money was to reimburse the center for about $200,000 in services already provided to uninsured people.
Bettini said the state money makes up only 8 percent of his budget, but that the cuts will affect the center's ability to provide dental care, pharmacy, laboratory and X-ray services to the uninsured.
Fukino could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Hawai'i's community health centers are private, nonprofit organizations that provide care to people without insurance or who face language barriers, cultural issues or other obstacles to healthcare.
Bettini said the Wai'anae clinic serves 24,000 patients a year, two-thirds of them with incomes below the poverty level.
Akamine said the Kalihi-Palama center serves about 20,000 people a year.
The centers, which are on O'ahu, Hawai'i, Maui and Kaua'i, have seen a 40 percent increase in patients in the past five years, said Beth Giesting, executive director of the Hawai'i Primary Care Association.
One reason the money was targeted, Bettini said Fukino told him, was that officials working to trim the budget under the new administration of Gov. Linda Lingle questioned why the money wasn't spent already. The state is more than halfway through the 2002-2003 fiscal year.
Because the money was not spent, it gave the appearance there was no emergency need for the appropriation. But Bettini said the money was not spent because contracts have not been finalized, even though his center was informed in November that the contracts were expected to be completed shortly.
"It seems to be an expedient cut that's politically palatable," he said.
Akamine said she has heard Lingle talk about the value of the community health centers and hopes that she and others will be able to present their case to the governor.
"I think she just needs to be educated. I don't think she realizes the impact of the decision she made on the people of Hawai'i nei."
Bettini said he thought the Lingle administration was intending to cut the bureaucracy and not basic community health needs. But he said that each administration has issues related to coping with the complex healthcare issues.
"There does not seem to be an understanding of how it works," Bettini said. He said he was disappointed that there was no discussion with the Health Department before the decision was made.
"We really believe that the governor would support the health centers if we have an opportunity to talk about this," said Giesting of the Hawai'i Primary Care Association.
The 10 community health centers are Wai'anae, Kalihi-Palama, Waikiki Health Center, Waimanalo Health Center and Kokua Kalihi Valley on O'ahu; Bay Clinic and Hamakua Health Center on the Big Island; Community Clinic of Maui (Kahului) and Hana Community Health Center on Maui; and Kaua'i Community Health Center.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
