DHS doing its part on Medicaid

Families who benefit from Medicaid are required by law to annually renew their eligibility. Otherwise, they do not qualify for coverage.  

Prior to October 2013, households with children were not required to return the renewal form if there were no changes.

Since implementation of the Affordable Care Act, all households receiving renewal letters between April and September 2014 must return their forms, including households with children.

The state Department of Human Services is doing its part. The DHS sends three letters to Medicaid households; utilizes radio and print media; and works with health plans, clinics, doctors and hospitals. Medicaid eligibility cards carry an expiration date.  

Families must do their part, too. Provision of health care insurance is a shared responsibility. It is paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Response to the renewal forms in a timely manner allows the public interest as well as eligible families to be protected.  

Pat McManaman
Director, Department of Human Services

UH regents can’t shoot straight

Stories about the incompetence of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents continue.

On Monday, Hawaii News Now reported it never considered Jeanette Takamura, dean of the Columbia University School of Social Work, who held high positions in the Cayetano and Clinton administrations.

Why not? Former Gov. Ben Cayetano wrote the regents in July recommending her. Regent John Holzman said the office was understaffed when it received Cayetano’s letter. He later said nominations did not open until February and Cayetano should have renominated her.

The selection process is a moving target. The regents were going to hire an outside consulting firm, but then kept the process in-house. They said the interim president would not be considered for the permanent job; they changed their mind. They said there would be six finalists; it’s two.

Why rush? Is it because the terms of several regents end June 30 and they want to vote? Why not reopen the search?

Lynne Matusow
Downtown Honolulu

Kim should quit meddling at UH

State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim can’t help herself when it comes to playing politics with the University of Hawaii.

Just one year ago, she was exposed for calling then-UH President M.R.C. Greenwood to follow up on her adult son’s law school application, leveraging her position as Senate president and making threats to gain special treatment. 

She has obviously not learned from that experience as she is again using her position as Senate president to influence who the next UH president will be (“Senate president wants UH to search anew for leader,” Star-Advertiser, May 21).

I believe the Senate president has thoroughly abused her position to turn our university into a political football. Enough is enough.

Stan Fichtman
Makiki

Animal shelter could use help

The article by Leila Fujimori about the Oahu SPCA was informative (“Aloha Petroleum extends lease for animal shelter at Campbell,” Star-Advertiser, May 22). 

However, while grateful the media has finally brought the shelter’s increasing difficulties to light,

I worry that the continued lack of transparency and honesty by the governing board will only result in loss of financial and volunteer support. No one wants to see the shelter fail.

Let’s take the energy used to complain, and volunteer at the shelter to help these animals. If you don’t have money to donate, then go and walk the animals. If you have trade skills, go fix the electrical or building issues. If you are good at talking, then do some fundraising.

This is about the animals, not personalities or politics.

Pat Mullett
Waipahu

Temperature too cold on buses

TheBus is too cold for comfort.

With Hawaii’s balmy weather, there is no need to set the air conditioning to

60 degrees, especially when it is raining and one gets on the bus with wet clothes.

To make matters worse, the vents blow the cold onto the top of our heads. When it is cold outside, the windows are frosted up.

Keep the temperature at 73. Our buses are the best in the world and would be great to ride if a comfortable temperature was kept.

Elwyn Kan
Chinatown