Injuryboard Commentary - Honolulu

Recall of Chinese Drywall? Don't Hold Your Breath!

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:32:22 GMT

The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press (10/20, Wozniak) reports, "A summit beginning Wednesday in Beijing between the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and its Chinese counterpart will press for companies in the Chinese drywall supply chain to take responsibility for their defective product. Commission Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum will appeal to the Chinese companies to do 'what is fair and just,' commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said Monday." But "the mountain of obstacles to a recall appears insurmountable, say attorneys, academics and other experts in Chinese law and Chinese business culture. 'If China won't recall the defective products in its own market, what makes anybody think that they'll do it for products in the U.S?' asked Adam Minter, who blogs in Shanghai."

See my other articles on Chinese Drywall at my Injury Board Honolulu Blog.

In a separate article, the Fort Myers News-Press (10/20, Wozniak) reports on reasons why a Chinese drywall recall would prove difficult. Marshall Meyer, a professor at Wharton School and a global expert on Chinese business, said that "in this case, there are numerous distributors of a Chinese product that is difficult to trace because it is made by many companies and some of the product is not marked." CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said, "CPSC has sent more than 100 letters to U.S. importers, suppliers, manufacturers and home builders to obtain information about what they know, when did imported drywall come into this country and which communities was it used in."

Bill urges banks to assist Chinese drywall homeowners. Housing Wire (10/19, Prior) reported, "Congressman Glenn Nye (D-Va.) introduced a concurrent resolution in the House of Representatives calling for banks and mortgage servicers to assist homeowners struggling with toxic drywall, according to a release from his office." The legislation "urges mortgage servicers and banks to provide temporary forbearance on their mortgage payments to help families afford the costs of additional residency. 'Recognizing this issue in Congress and formally asking lenders to be a part of the solution will give families more leverage when working with banks or mortgage holders who may be unfamiliar with the seriousness of this problem,' Nye said."

Drywall inspections underway. WVUE-TV New Orleans (10/19, Parker) on its website reported, "Preparations are ramping up in preparation for the first trials in cases of toxic Chinese drywall. Judge Eldon Fallon has ordered a meticulous inspection of more than two dozen suspected homes across the country." All the findings "are being recorded for the judge, as they will be an important tool in court during trial. Plaintiffs' attorneys say they approximate a cost of $100,000 per home or a third of the cost of the home to begin to make homeowners whole." They believe the total cost "to settle the lawsuits would be staggering."

Florida soldier's home contaminated with Chinese drywall. WPTV-TV West Palm Beach, FL (10/19, Cashmere) on its website reported on Colin Green, a soldier from Port St. Lucie, FL, who "returned from overseas to his two year old home" only to find it contaminated with Chinese drywall. "Time is of the essence but time isn't exactly what Green has in abundance. In less than a week he heads back to serve his country at Fort Bragg, North Carolina."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Micronesian Crewman Killed in Boat Fire on M/V Manaloa at Pier 38

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:44:34 GMT

The Manaloa, a 75-foot fishing vessel had just returned from 30 days at sea with 20,000 pounds of Ahi in the hold. The crew had gone ashore to rest and one crew member was on the Manaloa when a fire started at about 10 P.M. Saturday night near at Pier 38 according to a report in the Honolulu Advertiser. The lone crew member aboard had been drinking according to news reports and a propane stove was found near the wheel well area. It appears that he had attempted to cook some food. The investigation is continuing.

According to KHON TV News, the Manaloa fishing vessel, returned home with approximately 20,000 pounds of fish after spending several weeks at sea.

According to Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Earle Kealoha:

At about 10:15 last night, fire units responded to a report of a fire on a boat docked at Pier 38. The fire took a little more than 15 minutes to contain. It appears to have started in the crew living quarters area behind the wheelhouse of a 75-foot commercial Police initially did not find the lone crew member on the boat. They learned after putting out the fire that someone else may boat and returned to the boat where they found the body of a Micronesian man in his 30s in an auxiliary space below the wheelhouse and just forward of the engine room. Firefighters brought the man's body up onto the pier.

According to fire officials, some of the crew members went out to drink, and later one of 'em decided to go back to the boat to cook something.

"He's drink, inside broke window, go inside, and cooking, sleeping, blow up," said Seok Kim, the Captain's friend.

Witness, Lonne Fiero said, "I saw smoke and the fire engines were already here hooking up their water trying to put it out."

"Shortly after arrival we had reports that there might have been someone still aboard the ship. After the fire was contained our crews did go down to the lower sections of the vessel and we did find a male approximately in his 30's," said HFD Captain Earle Kealoha. "This was the only individual aboard the boat."

The KITV News Video shows the charred structure of the boat.

It is unknown who the Micronesian crew member was or whether he had any family here to look out for his affairs and investigate a Jones Act claim that could benefit his family back home. I believe he may be from Ponape. If his negligence was the sole cause of his death then his family may not want to pursue a claim but someone should investigate the matter for the family to determine what happened and explain the law to them. Since the crew member is dead, he can't tell us what happened or defend himself if others say he was at fault. If he has a family back in Micronesia, they may be entitled to compensation under The Jones Act.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Insurance Reform Now!!

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:29:09 GMT

The most important consumer legislation in the last 50 years is presently moving in Congress with Senator Patrick Leahy, VT. leading the way. Senator Leahy Submits Legislation For Insurance Reform - Wayne Parsons - October 16, 2009. The insurance industry is the most political, and many say the most politically corrupt, industry in the U.S. Congress is generally afraid of the insurance industry because they will pour unlimited funds into the next election to get rid of any elected official that dares cross them. Its all about money. Their motto?

We accept your premiums and deny your claims!

Senator Leahy has courage and he cares. We all must support him vocally in the battle that is about to happen as he takes on Big Insurance. Both President Clinton and President Obama ran for President with a promise to take on the insurance industry. President Clinton never got to first base on that vow and President Obama appears to be caving in to the pressure and making back room deals with Big Insurnace and the insurance lobby led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove.

I was reminiscing about a similar battle years ago in California when Harvey Rosenfield took a grassroots initiative battle into the board rooms of the insurance companies in California. Prop 103 passed because Rosenfield asked the California voters what they thought about the insurance industry and their answer was loud and clear: stop insurance abuse and enact insurance reform!

Please support Senator Leahy and be vocal about insurance industry reform. Without vocal public participation the fat cats and robber barons will win the day.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Senator Leahy Submits Legislation For Insurance Reform -

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:20:58 GMT

In spite of all the hem-hawing and confusion surrounding American health care reform, one senator is taking initiative.

Senator Patrick Leahy, of Vermont, has recently introduced the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act into Congress, which would eliminate current antitrust exemptions for the insurance industry, thereby making them function like almost every other business in America. Since 1945, health insurance companies have been exempt from anti-trust regulations, which has shielded them from many of the same free-market factors that affect other businesses in our country. According to Leahy,

The two key provisions of the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act will repeal the federal antitrust exemption for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies for flagrant antitrust violations, including price-fixing, bid rigging, and market allocations, and subject health insurers and medical malpractice insurers to the same good-competition laws that apply to virtually every other company doing business in the United States.

This reform would greatly help the American people, since it would subject health insurance companies to the same effects of competition and good business that affect the rest of our country's economy. Since they would no longer be protected for mistreating their customers, they would have to compete to offer better service, which would lead to better health care coverage for average Americans who are now paying exorbitant premiums and being dropped by insurance companies at the first sign of physical ailment.

The Washington Independent quotes Robert Hunter one of the great commentators on the insurance industry:

... Robert Hunter, Director of Insurance for the Consumer Federation of America and former Federal Insurance Administrator under Presidents Ford and Carter, saw it differently. In his view, the antitrust exemption, intended initially to be temporary but made permanent during closed-door conference committee sessions of Congress more than 50 years ago, must be repealed to overcome the insurance industry’s anticompetitive practices that have led to higher prices and reduced services. “It is high time that insurers played by the same rules of competition as virtually all other commercial enterprises operating in America‘s economy,” he testified.

According to Hunter, health insurance companies have been able to consistently pay less on claims by agreeing to lower the amounts they reimburse doctors and hospitals for services; adopting similar clauses in their contracts that limit their liability in unfair and abusive ways; agreeing to cut back coverage to certain places, and using similar claims processing systems designed to systematically underpay claims.

As Hunter testified, federal authorities have recommended eliminating or cutting back the antitrust exemption for health insurers and medical malpractice insurers on at least four different occasions after studying it. But Congress has never taken that step, presumably due to the power of the insurance industry lobby.

With the soaring cost of health care now in the spotlight, this may finally be the right time.

As reported by The Pop Tort one of the best consumer Blogs that I follow, the upcoming battle with Big Insurance should be entertaining:

Attention all doctors who complain about the cost of insurance rates! An important hearing is being held right now by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that concerns two new bills that could ultimately eliminate your concerns in a heartbeat. The bills would repeal the anti-trust exemption under the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which makes insurance purveyors the only industry in America (other than Major League Baseball) exempt from federal anti-trust laws that prevent collusion and price-fixing.

The hearing, which is being carried live on the web at 10AM from the Dirksen Office Building (Rm 226), has been given the snappy title, “Prohibiting Price Fixing and Other Anticompetitive Conduct in the Health Insurance Industry,” and there’s an impressive line-up of witnesses, including Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and our friend and colleague, J. Robert Hunter, who is Director of Insurance of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), former Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Texas, former Federal Insurance Administrator under Presidents Carter and Ford, and a co-author of several studies by the Americans for Insurance Reform (AIR), including the most recent one, True Risk: Medical Liability, Malpractice Insurance and Health Care.

If you are an American who loves the free-market system, do not sit by and let a company that is in charge of your health operate in a way that abuses your rights. Contact your local representative and tell them you support this bill.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

CPSC Chair Tenenbaum Seeks China's Help In Paying Chinese Drywall Claims in U.S.

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:57:14 GMT

The story of ruined homes, hopes and dreams in the U.S. Southeast has been raging in the news for almost a year: Drywall From China Causes Concern Over Sulfur Odor In Homes - by Wayne Parsons January 02, 2009. The first question that comes to mind for an attorney like me is how do you get a company in China to pay for damage that their product causes in the U.S. Defective Product Accountability for Foreign Manufacturers by Joe Saunders.

So how does the first woman who contacted me about Chinese Drywall in her home in Florida get the money to fix her problem? She was a single mother with a little girl and a new home tha reeked of sulfur smells to the point it made them both physically ill. The builder of the home was gone and probably bankrupt. To solve the problem, all of the drywall in the home would have to be removed and replaced. Think about it. That removing and replacing all of the walls in the house is a huge _ and expensive _ task. Well lawyers across the Southeast are filing lawsuits for aggrieved homeowners, but collecting any money may be an entirely different matter. It would be great if the U.S. Chamber of Commerce would stop its lobbying for insurance company behemoths like AIG and start helping Americans who are hurt get justice. But then all the U.S. Chamber of Commerce cares about is keeping the executive bonuses rolling in to the insurance industry fat cats. To heck with a single mother and her daughter in ruined home in Florida. She's nobody to them.

Lucky for all of us, President Obama has appointed some consumer advocates to agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission. After 16 years of Presidents Clinton and Bush ordering consumer and environmental agencies to back off regulating commerce and protecting the environment, there are signs of life in federal agencies that protect American consumers.

The Wall Street Journal (10/16, A3, Trottman) reports that in an interview prior to her trip next week to China for a consumer product safety summit, Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said she intends to ask China to assist in paying for damage caused in US homes by defective Chinese drywall. Said Tenenbaum, "I will find out if any discussions are going on in China about the costs, are they prepared to participate in providing funds, and what would it take for that to occur." She also intends to discuss a US regulatory standard for drywall composition.

Fallon denies motion to shift discovery to the Hague. The New Orleans Times-Picayune (10/15, Mowbray) reported, "U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon denied a motion Thursday by the German company Knauf Gips to conduct discovery in the Chinese drywall litigation under the rules of international litigation in the Hague. Plaintiffs and U.S. companies view the move as a sign that Fallon, the judge presiding over the national consolidated litigation over Chinese drywall in New Orleans, will fight to hold foreign manufacturers of Chinese drywall accountable."

The Bradenton (FL) Herald (10/16, Marsteller) reports that Fallon "said he will not dismiss several suits against Knauf Gips KG," a German drywall manufacturer "that says it has nothing to do with Chinese drywall." Knauf Gips "argued the suits against it should be dismissed, saying U.S. courts lack jurisdiction because the company is based in Germany and has no business dealings in the United States." But Fallon said that "the company's request would jeopardize plans to hold the first 'bellwether' trial in January."

ABC World News (10/15, story 10, 2:10, Gibson) reported, "A federal court in New Orleans held a hearing today about a growing problem for tens of thousands of American families. They have filed lawsuits alleging that drywall, made in China, is defective, ruining their homes and their health, and now some are finding their homeowners insurance is being canceled because of it." Desperate homeowners "are trying everything. Many are suing their builders and drywall manufacturers. And some have tried making insurance claims to get compensated, but insurance companies say their contracts clearly state they're not responsible for construction defects."

CBS /AP (10/15) reported, "Thousands of homeowners nationwide who bought new houses constructed from [Chinese drywall] are finding their hopes dashed, their lives in limbo. And officials warn that cases...in which insurers drop policies or send notices of non renewal based on the presence of the Chinese drywall will become rampant as insurance companies process the hundreds of claims in the pipeline." Because mortgage companies "require homeowners to insure their properties, they are then at risk of foreclosure, yet no law prevents the cancellations."

Nelson blasts move. Sarasota (FL) Herald Tribune (10/16, Kessler) reports, "U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., lashed out at some of Florida's top insurance companies Thursday in response to several of them starting to drop coverage for homeowners who have tainted Chinese drywall." Nelson "fired off a number of letters to Florida companies," in one of which he "demanded that Bradley Meier, chief executive of Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Co. - one of the companies that has started dropping Chinese drywall victims - immediately provide 'a statement regarding your company's policy on claims and coverage relating to contaminated Chinese drywall.'"

Insurance reform is absolutely necessary in the U.S. as is now becoming apparant to all of us as the true facts of what is wrong with health care in America traces to the marble facades of the huge insurnace companies that dominate politics in Congress with their unlimited lobbying money.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Separate Wahiawa And Kunia Motorcycle Crashes Leave One Dead And One Critical

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:22:31 GMT

The motorcycle was headed toward Haleiwa at about 1:15 p.m., just past Wahiawa, when it crossed the centerline on a curve on Kaukonahua Road and crashed into an oncoming car one mile past Wilikina Drive.

Going to Haleiwa ia always a beautiful way to spend the day but something went terribly wrong for the 29-year-old motorcycle driver. Whether it was speed, a problem with the motorcycle or inattention is not yet known. What is known is the deaths and serious injury on motorcycles continues to rise on Oahu this year. I have written several times this year on the subject of why motorcycles crash. Federal Highway Administration Studies Cause Of Motorcycle Crashes by Wayne Parsons, October 10, 2009 According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin News story:

Police said the motorcyclist was Haleiwa-bound at 1:13 p.m. when he failed to negotiate a bend in Kaukonahua Road and smashed into an oncoming car about a mile past Wilikina Drive. The man died at the scene. Police said he was wearing a helmet.

The other vehicle was a Chrysler sedan with 4 people in it and it was being driven by a 24-year-old woman. No one in the sedan was physically injured but you can imagine that a collision like this would leave permanent mental scars.

We have now had 42 deaths in traffic accidents on Oahu this year compared to 36 at this time last year. Why is that? Is it speed? Traffic? On the day of the Kaukonahua Road crash, another motorcyclist crashed in Kunia and was in critical condition last night. The second motorcycle accident happened at about 8 p.m. on Kunia Road near Kupuna Loop according to police. The motorcyclist is his late 50s and was taken to Hawaii Medical Center West.

View Larger Map

The reasons for these incidents is under investigation. If you know anything about the incidents please let us know.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Federal Highway Administration Studies Cause Of Motorcycle Crashes

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Hawaii247 reports that the Federal Highway Administration is conducting an ambitious new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes, Administrator Victor Mendez announced.

Between 1997 and 2008, motorcycle rider fatalities increased from 2,116 to 5,290 - a 150 percent jump, according to U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2008 alone, deaths due to motorcycle crashes rose by an estimated 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities.

Motorcycles are one of the highest-risk groups on on our streets and highways with nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders dead in roadway crashes in 2008, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. 96,000 were injured. In 2008 alone, deaths due to motorcycle crashes rose by an estimated 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities.

“Having a better understanding of what causes these crashes will help us improve roadway safety for everyone,” Mendez said. “Keeping people safe on America’s roads is Secretary LaHood’s top priority at the Department of Transportation.”

The new motorcycle crash causation study is the first in-depth analysis of motorcycle safety in 30 years. A provision in the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” (SAFETEA-LU) requires the study, which will be conducted by the FHWA in partnership with the Oklahoma State University.

The Oklahoma Transportation Center is one of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 10 National University Transportation Centers, and it receives federal grants to conduct transportation research.

“OSU is delighted to be the lead research institution for this important study,” said Dr. Alan Tree, associate dean for research in OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. “We expect very significant, scientifically valid results to emerge from this work and look forward to a very positive final outcome.”

Factors evaluated in the study include road configurations, environmental conditions and rider experience.

The study’s focus is to look at how these factors may be affected by countermeasures that, if effectively implemented, will prevent motorcycle crashes or lessen the harm when they occur. Prevention is a goal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a motorcycle causation study in 1981.

Hawaii has been among the states seeing high rates of motorcycle injury and death.

Motorcycle Deaths Skyrocket On Oahu by Wayne Parsons April 12, 2009

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Do Private Health Insurance Practices Causes Decline In Health Care Quality?

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:08:11 GMT

Science Daily reports on 09 October 2009 that "[t]he cost and quality of health care, as well as access to care and health outcomes, continue to vary widely among states, according to the Commonwealth Fund Commission " The Commonwealth Fund Commission is a private foundation working toward a high performance health system. This is it's second rating of the various states. In their report "Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance, 2009".

Leading states in the 2007 report still lead, disparities are great and the gap is widening. That means the quality of your health care depends on where you live in the United States. That's why we need national health care and a public option. I suspect that the driving factor in this is the insurance company denials of paying for quality and necessary treatment and tests. It isn't that we have too much health care in the form of rampant defensive medicine. Its that some adjuster at a big insurance company is denying a lot of patients and their doctors necessary treatment. This rationing of medical care by private health insurance companies is making America sick. The report confirms my support for a single payer public plan for health insurance, AND reform of insurance law and strict regulation of private insurance companies.

Since the beginning of the decade, insurance coverage in most states has been eroding for adults while increasing or holding steady for children. This divergence reflects the impact of federal action to expand coverage for children through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); rates of uninsured children in 2008 were the lowest since 1987. Nevertheless, high and rising rates of uninsured adults in many states underscore the need for comprehensive national reform to expand coverage in all states, and to further the gains made in Massachusetts, Vermont, and other states that have taken a lead in enacting reforms.

Private health insurance in the United States has failed. While the insurance industry is hugely profitable, the doctors are not being fairly reimbursed for treatments and the CFO's of the insurance companies are directing widespread denials of treatment to patients. Who are these insurance executives anyway? They aren't doctors so why can they make treatment decisions? It isn't defensive medicine that is a problem, its the money hungry insurance executives that are hurting people. Maybe they could use a good dose of lawsuit abuse.

While health insurance coverage for adults declined in a majority of states, the only improvements occurred when government support was implemented such as in health coverage for children. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

A new bill signed into law by President Obama makes millions of children eligible to receive health insurance.

If your kids do not have health insurance, they are likely to be eligible, even if you are working and even if you have applied in the past and been turned down.

Your state (and every state) has its own program, with its own eligibility rules, but in many states, uninsured children 18 years old and younger, whose families earn up to $44,500 a year (for a family of four) are eligible for free or low-cost health insurance that pays for

Doctor visits, Dental care, Prescription medicines, Hospitalizations and much more.

Find out if your child qualifies.
Go to Your State's Program or make a free call to 1-877-KIDS-NOW.

Looking at overall health care in 2009, Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Maine, and New Hampshire lead the nation and these states set new standards on most indicators. Conversely, low states have declined in most areas.

"Leading states have raised the bar for better access, quality of care, and reducing disparities," said Commonwealth Fund Senior Vice President and study co-author Cathy Schoen. "Where you live in the U.S. matters in terms of your health care, and it shouldn't. These wide and persistent gaps among states highlight the need for national reforms and federal action to support states. National leadership has been critical for children– particularly for states with historically high rates of children uninsured— so we know that strong national efforts can make a real difference even in struggling states."

The sharp variation across states spans access, quality of care, costs, and lives. For example, rates of hospital readmissions (within 30 days of a previous hospital stay) among Medicare beneficiaries ranged from a high of 23 percent of hospital admissions in Nevada to a low of 13 percent in Oregon. The percent of adult diabetics getting recommended preventive care ranged from a low of 33 percent in Mississippi to a high of 67 percent in Minnesota as of 2006-07, a new high. On these and other measures, the lowest ranked states would have to improve 40 percent to 100 percent on average to achieve the performance of top ranking states.

Here's what would happen if the low states caught up:

Twenty-nine million more people would have health insurance—cutting the number of uninsured by more than half;

Nearly 78,000 fewer adults and children would die prematurely every year from conditions that could have been prevented with timely and effective health care;

Nine million more adults age 50 and older would receive recommended preventive care, and almost 800,000 more children would receive key vaccinations;

Five billion dollars could be saved annually by avoiding preventable hospital admissions and readmissions for vulnerable elderly and disabled residents.

It isn't all bad news. Most states improved in treatment for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and prevention of surgical complications. And the lowest states have improved in some areas to what the average was in 2007. In addition, most states improved significantly in the quality of care in nursing homes (reductions in pressure sores, pain, and use of restraints) following a national effort to make that data publicly available. Wouldn't it be nice if the reason was that doctors and nurses made this improvement on their own? Why does it only happen when the poor quality is exposed to public view. lawsuits and news stories are the only tools that force change. That's why tort reform has no place in health care reform.

"The differences we see among the states translate to real lives and dollars," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "If we can enact health reforms that give all states the opportunity to do as well as the best states we will save lives, improve quality, and cut costs. And, the good news is that these aren't pie in the sky goals—we know they are attainable because we see it happening in the states at the top of the pack."

Here are the declines in health insurance coverage from the private sector:

In 1999-2000 there were only two states with 23 percent or more of adults uninsured, by 2007-2008 there were nine. In 1999-2000, 22 states had less than 14 percent of adults uninsured; by 2007-2008 the number dropped to only 11 states. Children fared much better—due in large part to the CHIP program. The number of states with 16 percent or more of children uninsured dropped from nine to three between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008.

Gaps in coverage between states were particularly stark, with 32 percent of working-age adults uninsured in Texas compared to only 7 percent in Massachusetts as of 2007-2008. Several states stood out in terms of health insurance coverage expansions, as part of comprehensive reforms. Massachusetts, which had only begun to implement its universal health insurance program during the period covered by the State Scorecard, had the greatest increase in coverage for adults and gains in coverage for children. The reforms passed by Vermont in 2006 to cover the uninsured and establish a "blueprint for health" focused on preventing and controlling chronic disease are providing a new model for other states. And, Minnesota has achieved high rates of adult coverage and better preventive care through public–private collaboration.

The 2009 state scorecard includes 38 indicators grouped into five dimensions of performance—access, prevention/treatment quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and healthy lives. The analysis ranks states on each indicator and then averages the indicator ranks to determine the dimension rank. Dimension scores determine the overall rank. Equity measures the gaps in performance between vulnerable groups and the national average.

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation supporting independent research on health policy reform and a high performance health system.

Hawaii health care is at the top of this review and is an example of how to do things right. A separate report gives details of 7 top states and why they rank at the top: "Aiming Higher for Health System Performance: A Profile of Seven States That Perform Well on The Commonwealth Fund's 2009 State Scorecard".

Hawaii: An Early Quest for Coverage

Hawaii has one of the healthiest populations in the nation, as measured by the Commonwealth Fund’s
State Scorecard on Health System Performance, 2009 (Table 5). Compared with most states, fewer people in Hawaii smoke and are overweight or obese, and more people are engaged in regular physical activity, which is not a surprise given the state’s natural beauty and diverse geography. However, Hawaii also has its share of health-related challenges. For example, Hawaii has the highest incidence of breast cancer of all 50 states, but it also has the lowest death rates for breast cancer. How is that possible? Hawaii’s residents have excellent access to primary and preventive care, say the states health experts, and that reduces preventable mortality and enables early identification and management of chronic disease.

Hawaii also has had mandatory health insurance for all employees since 1974 and that system is singularly distinguishable across the country. If you wonder how our little states can afford this, it actually saves money because with everyone in the system the numbers make the insurance side of the system more efficient just like national health insurance reform would do in a single payer public plan.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Propane Tanker Truck Rolls Over On Malakole Street In Campbell Industrial Park - Driver Hurt.

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:04:33 GMT

Yesterday I blogged about a KITV News story about a gas comapny propane truck mysteriously turning over in Campbell Industrial Park. Initial reports didn't make sense. Neither did my article. Now I have

The propane truck, owned by the Gas Company, and shown above, collided with a dump truck and overturned. The dump truck was exiting an asphalt company on Malakole Street near Hanua Street at about 1:15 p.m., said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig. Firefighters sealed off the area and confirmed no propane was released.

Seelig said the propane truck driver was treated for injuries that were not critical. He added that a wrecker company righted the propane truck, and the road was reopened.

View Larger Map

Paramedics treated the driver and took him to a nearby hospital for further medical care.

Four Campbell Industrial Park businesses were evacuated yesterday after the 1:15 p.m. incident, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig. Firefighters isolated the area and confirmed no propane was released. The Gas Company employee driving the propane truck wass treated for injuries that were not critical.

If you know more about this incident please contact my office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Car Hits 2 Kids On Liliha Street - Did You See It?

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:58:24 GMT

Parents always worry about this call: "your son and daughter are at the hospital after being hit by a car". That is what happened this morning according to the Star Bulletin report.

Two young pre-teen children were taken to the hospital in serious condition after being struck by a car in Liliha this morning. The incident happened near 1739 Liliha Street shortly before 8 a.m. On October 8th.

A representative of the Emergency Services Department, Bryan Cheplic, said that paramedics were able to stabilize both kids and then transported them to a trauma center

We pray that the kids are okay and that the police will figure out how it happened.

No one should interview the kids other than the police and the doctors and nurses. If an insurance adjuster calls, the family should read this article before allowing any interviews or statements:

Do only dishonest people refuse to give a recorded statement? - Steve Lombardi, October 06, 2009.

In most automobile accident cases, key witnesses disappear and never tell the police what they saw or heard. If you saw this accident please call HPD and tell the police what you saw.

Do you understand why people won't talk to the police about injury accidents?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons