HAWAII, A ROLE MODEL?

Interesting article in NYTimes today about Hawaii's mandatory law instituted in 1974 which requires that employers provide affordable health care to employees working over 20 hours a week. Though other states have tried to implement a similar law, it often ends up being repealed. The article explains that part of the reason it works in Hawaii and not in other states is partly due to Hawaii's geographical isolation. Employers can not threaten to move across state lines as easily as their counterparts on the mainland.

Article also gives some surprising statistics such as:

"But perhaps the most intriguing lesson from Hawaii has to do with costs. This is a state where regular milk sells for $8 a gallon, gasoline costs $3.60 a gallon and the median price of a home in 2008 was $624,000 — the second-highest in the nation. Despite this, Hawaii’s health insurance premiums are nearly tied with North Dakota for the lowest in the country, and Medicare costs per beneficiary are the nation’s lowest."

Read full article here.

I have to say it's kind of surprising to hear that Hawaii is doing something right. As for public education, well now, that's a different story.

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