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House Targets Illegal, Unlicensed Care Homes

Wayne Yoshioka

The House Health and Human Services Committee is trying to pass a bill to put illegal care homes out of business. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

There are 17-hundred state-licensed long-term care facilities in Hawai’i, serving more than 12-thousand residents.  They’re certified by the Department of Health Office of Health Care Assurance and their operators are required to have background checks, purchase insurance, have training in medication management and food service and be subjected to unannounced inspections.

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Dr. Nancy Walch, a care home consultant, testified before the House Committee

Dr. Nancy Walch, says unlicensed, illegal care homes pose a danger to patients because of medical mistakes nationwide.

 

“Ninety-eight thousand people are dying annually from medical errors.  And this is compared to 3 jumbo jets crashing every other day.  It costs one billion dollars every day.”

 

House Bill 1911 would allow the Department of Health to investigate unlicensed or uncertified operators and levy up to one thousand dollars a day in fines and misdemeanor charges.  House Health and Human Services Committee Chair, John Mizuno, says unlicensed “aging in place” models with separate rental and medical treatment agreements are destroying the industry.

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
House Health and Human Services Committee chair, John Mizuno, holds up HB1911

“The caregiver industry has been extremely honest with me.  They’re done.  There’s no reason to be licensed.  Why would they be licensed and pay these license fees, liability insurance and jump through all the hoops and be forced to have unannounced visits.  They’re done.  And if that collapses, where we gonna put the Medicaid clients?  They’re gonna be homeless.”

 

House Bill 1911 must be passed by the full Senate, Thursday, to advance to Conference Committee.  Wayne Yoshioka, HPR News.

Wayne Yoshioka
Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
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