Urgent Prayer Request

Dear Friends & Supporters,

I wanted to make you aware of a serious situation that is developing and ongoing here in Hawaii. The information I want to present to you is spelled out in a news story from the Honolulu Advertiser here:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200908210200/NEWS15/908210339

The lead line for the story states this:

A state plan to scale back health care benefits to about 7,500 adult Micronesians — including no longer covering dialysis treatment or chemotherapy — could be a "death sentence" for some, advocates and patients' relatives warned at a legislative briefing yesterday.

As soon as I was made aware that Medicaid would no longer be available to Micronesians, which is a Federal program administrated by the States, in favor of a local State-controlled program which would not include insurance to cover critical health care, I wrote to the Governor, Lt. Governor and some Senators about this issue. We know a number of Micronesians here who, if these coverages were canceled, would die. They have nowhere else to go.

I am in the process of trying to find out if the State of HI can cancel Medicaid for critical care such as dialysis when those monies were made available by the Federal government in part as part of their compact obligations with the three nations in the Micronesian islands. Of particular concern would be their proposed cutting off funds to patients from the Republic of the Marshalls as the US owes reparations to those islands for using them as a testing ground for the atom bomb. The islands of Bikini and others are still radioactive today as well as the sea life. This has effected the Marshallese with birth defects and cancer, in particular. There is also a high incidence of diabetes there as a result of having to eat canned food instead of fresh seafood. So the Marshallese are particularly and understandably angered over this decision that is basically tied to State of HI cutbacks in order to survive the recession.

The other two governments of Micronesia were Trust Territories and the US promised to help them. The Federated States of Micronesia, in particular, has had some governors who "took the money and ran" instead of spending it on infrastructure. But the people of those islands are not to blame for some nefarious individuals.

The islanders come to HI for medical help and the hospitals reap the benefits of Medicaid and insurance payments. Many families end up living here on an extended basis and, though they are not full US citizens, are employed and pay state and federal taxes. They are also consumers, which feeds the economy. They have most of the rights of US citizens but cannot vote, for instance.

I wrote two emails to the Governor of HI stating the following:

Dear Governor Lingle,

We have been working with Micronesian islanders here on Oahu for 10 years. We try to help them in many ways and we visit them in the hospitals. I was surprised to learn in a recent article in the Honolulu Advertiser here ...

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090821/NEWS15/908210339/-1/localnewsfront

... that Micronesians, who have an agreement of free association with the US, will be denied critical health services here. I understand your need to cut back during this recession, but there is a difference between cutting back on employment and cutting back on life. I know many Micronesians on dialysis and chemo who, if denied these services, will have nowhere else to turn. Sending them back to their islands amounts to a death sentence for most of them.

In my view this is not an area to make cuts. Making cuts in other social services, making State employees take furloughs, etc. makes sense, but cutting back on health critical services is inhumane. I hope you will read this and reconsider your actions in this matter.

Our Lord can help people have a heart for the poor people of Micronesia, those we serve here in HI. Please pray that the hearts of those in the government will be open to helping those least able to help themselves. We understand the need for fiscal responsibility, but not at the cost of the deaths of God's people.

If the government can give out cash for clunkers, they can give cash for the lives of people.

In His hands,
Sandy Simpson