Patient Access to Healthcare in Hawaii grows worse every year Limited access to care has resulted in loss of life and limb. Delays in diagnoses may result in more serious illnesses. Delays in treatment may result in complications and extended recovery times. All of which frequently result in increased and unreimbursed medical expenses. Doctors are leaving Hawaii at an alarming rate There are few replacements for the many doctors who are leaving Hawaii due to escalating costs of malpractice insurance, low reimbursements and the rising rate of malpractice suits judged to be ‘without merit’. As the number of doctors decreases, physician workloads increase drastically for those remaining. Patient consequences can be extended wait times for appointments and treatments. Physician consequences can be social, psychological and physical overload; reduced time with family, increased stress. Most impacted specialties: Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Gastroenterology and ER physicians. Neighbor Islands are critically impacted by this exodus There are severe shortages of physicians on every island. Neighbor Islands are most impacted when many patients must travel to Oahu or Mainland for treatment. Off-Island travel and lodging expenses (often unreimbursed) are added to healthcare costs. Extended time to treatment puts patient at greater risk of complications and extended recovery times. YOU are paying the price! High cost of malpractice insurance and low reimbursement rates force doctors to practice defensive medicine by ordering maximum number of tests to protect themselves against lawsuits. "Thus, the average American family pays an additional $1,700 to $2,000 per year in healthcare costs simply to cover the costs of defensive medicine". In Florida, $2,000 of the delivery cost, per baby, goes to pay the cost of the medical liability premium. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery NOW article, November 2008, Vol 2, Number 11, pg. 41 Medical Liability Reform During this severe economic downturn, medical tort reform is an option that places no burden on the taxpayer. There are well-documented successes and increased numbers of doctors coming into states that have enacted these reforms. Your inability to see a doctor when and where needed is HEALTHCARE RATIONING Past efforts to stop this growing crisis through compromise tort reform and compensation bills have been consistently blocked by special interests. The Hawaii State Legislature holds the key.