Trump, Ige together at last

It’s not that we expect the Democratic governor of this blue state to become buddy-buddy with the GOP president, but it was probably wise to extend the olive branch that Gov. David Ige did Thursday at a White House working lunch. Ige thanked President Donald Trump for the disaster aid for Tropical Storm Lane as well as the Kilauea eruption, and noted state policies that align with Trump’s, such as criminal justice reform. Will this soften the edges around Hawaii’s lawsuits on immigration and such? We’ll see.

Patients caught in legal dispute

A long-term contract dispute between Kaiser Permanente and The Queen’s Health Systems is playing out above the heads of Kaiser patients who, for various reasons, end up in the emergency room at Queen’s. While the reimbursement deal remains unsettled, Queen’s has announced plans to bill Kaiser patients directly for charges.

Kaiser has filed an “unfair billing practices” lawsuit. All of this makes Kaiser members uneasy about ER visits, hard enough as they are. Let’s hope the fight ends soon, for their sakes.