HI HCR18

Urges United States Congress and Hawaii's congressional delegation to support legislation establishing Medicare for All.

Identifies gaps in current health care access, including COVID-19 pandemic job losses that resulted in loss of employer-sponsored insurance for hundreds of thousands of Hawaii workers.

Notes that Native Hawaiians experience higher rates of early death compared to Caucasians according to a 2010 University of Michigan study, and that inability to pay for health care causes people to delay needed medical treatment.

Contends that a single-payer health care system could reduce non-medical expenses to 6-8 percent of total health care costs, saving over one trillion dollars nationwide.

States Medicare for All would provide national health insurance with no copayments or deductibles, covering prescription drugs, hospital visits, surgical and outpatient services, preventive care, emergency services, reproductive care, dental and vision services, and long-term care.