Homeless Bill in Hawaii Essay

From the interview that I conducted with a senior sectary from the Department of Health Services in Hawaii, I had a lot to learn and gathered ample information regarding the bill. First, I wanted to know what the bill specifically entailed. From the information given by the secretary, the bill mainly required that the homelessness is termed the same as a medical condition under the Hawaii state law. He also gave a stronger clarification; the secretary stated that the primary motive of having this bill considered, is the increased sickness rates among the homeless. Although I had known the main ropers of the law, the Sec. stated that had been suggested by Hawaii who also happened to be a doctor. Senator Josh green seen had seen the increase in sickness among those who were homeless.

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The Secretary continued to give a brief history of the bill by saying that in 2016, a sixth supplementary Proclamation on Homelessness was issued by Governor Ige in the wake to consider homeless people. From their records, he gave me a rough estimate that Hawaii was the place occupied by most homeless people having fifty-three out of ten thousand. The governor`s motive as per the interview was to ensure that homeless people acquired a place to sleep and also have privacy. Senator Josh initiated a similar rationale. The primary focus of the homelessness bill is to allow homeless people use Medicaid funds to facilitate having transitional shelter. He said that a similar bill was operational in other states like California and Washington. Continuing with the interview revealed that Governor was in complete support of the bill despite the fact that it faced questioning from different sectors. One field that opposed the bill was the insurance industry led by Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente who were the most prominent insurers. The secretary said that the reason for their opposition was due to the precise definition and also the complexity of the bill regarding offering insurance services.

However, he continued to state that the bill was gaining support from different sectors on a national level. For example, the city council was in favor of the law and advocated of what it entailed. The city council was finding it challenging finding housing for the increasing number of homeless people which was growing gradually out in the streets. Also, the government organizations that deal with sensitive matters as such were advocating for the same even regarding tourism. The bill wants the funds offered by Medicaid to cover other social conditions like homelessness still. From the views and concerns laid, the secretary told me that it was undeniable that most homeless people had caught terminal diseases like Asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure due to their exposure to dirt, and harmful weather conditions. Homelessness, therefore, is termed as a critical issue just like health problems.

The interview ended by stating that the bill has received criticism and has also received support from different organizations and government bodies. The Governor`s coordinator on Homelessness together with the Department of Human services have affirmed their assistance regarding the same matter. For the bill to become useful, other bills (SB347 and HB527) are being delegated to facilitate health care concepts like costs and delivery of services. These bills will help in making the homelessness bill in Hawaii more effective.