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LBJ Board hopeful for funds to resume referrals
Monday,
June 22, 2009
The LBJ Hospital has 57 names of patients waiting for the medical off island program to resume.
Chairman of the Hospital Authority Board Moananu Va says only a few families can afford to pay for the referrals and he is hopeful that when the Fono convenes its second regular session in July, lawmakers will discuss funding to revive the referral program.
The LBJ Hospital stopped sending patients off island in January because the entire budget for the program was used up in the first quarter of fiscal year 2009.
Moananu said today that the LBJ’s third party administrator in Honolulu has indicated that once the hospital makes a payment of $100,000 towards its outstanding debt of close to half a million dollars, it can again accept local patients. The third party administrator DMX, takes care of all the arrangements with the Honolulu hospitals for treatment of local patients and follow up.
The Board chairman said several lawmakers have expressed support for funding to resumed the off island referral program .
Moananu also said up to now ASG has not paid $1.3 million that was approved by the Fono in Fiscal Year 2008 for LBJ.
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