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Congressman calls for hearings on CAAS study
Tuesday,
June 23, 2009
Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin is urging Fono leaders to hold hearings on the report of the study on Coverage for All American Samoa. The study looked at health insurance coverage for the territory and was funded with federal grants totaling $1.2 million.
The congressman suggests that recommendations from the report would prove useful for an overhaul of American Samoa’s health care system.
Among recommendations made by the the Task Force headed by Lt, Governor Faoa Ipulasi Sunia with Keniseli Lafaele as Project Director :
1) Amend Free Medical Care Mandate –while the free medical care mandate can and should be maintained, it should be pursued through realistic endeavors mindful of the economics of health care.
2) that legislation be enacted for the establishment of Health Savings account (HAS) as proposed, in conjunction with High Seductible Catastrophic Health Plans in American Samoa.
3) that eligible employers be encouraged to establish Section 125 Plans that include health coverage plans for their employees ;
– decentralization of the delivery of health care services in the territory
mandate healthy lifestyle utilizing existing and dormant traditional infrastructure
and – development of a comprehensive human capital development policy for the territory.
Faleomavaega informed the Fono leaders that in a recent meeting with the LBJ Exeutive Director Ms. Patricia Tindall, she indicated that our whole health care system is “fragmented”, an assessment that the congressman agreed with.
He said the problem is threefold. First, the user fees charged by ASMCA are no longer affordable. Second, the quality of services at LBJ Hospital is perceived by many to be substandard. And finally certain needed specialized services are not available locally.
He said “Overall, our health care system is in great need of reform and we must take immediate action and follow through on the recommendations suggested in the Coverage for All American Samoa report.
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