Hawaii to continue funding migrant health care
Masae Kintaro, front, of Micronesian United listens with the standing room only crowd during a public testimony held by Med-Quest on health care for Pacific Islanders on Monday, January 25, 2010 at the Queen Liliuokalani Building
The state attorney general says Hawaii will continue to provide health benefits for Micronesia migrants until a lawsuit on the issue is resolved.
Attorney General David Louie said Tuesday the migrants will receive uninterrupted access to health benefits while the suit is pending.
A federal appeals court ruled last week Hawaii isn’t required to fund Medicaid for migrants from three Pacific Island nations in Micronesia to make up for reduced federal funding.
The ruling says Hawaii has no constitutional obligation to fill a gap left when Congress cut health care funding for the migrants.
The Compact of Free Association allows Palau, Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia citizens to live and work in the U.S.
In exchange, the U.S. military controls extensive land and water in the Pacific.
