{"id":8024,"date":"2010-11-15T22:17:17","date_gmt":"2010-11-16T06:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dmzhawaii.org\/?p=8024"},"modified":"2010-11-15T22:17:17","modified_gmt":"2010-11-16T06:47:17","slug":"court-denies-hawaiis-request-for-dismissal-of-suit-against-basic-health-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dmzhawaii.org\/?p=8024","title":{"rendered":"Court Denies Hawaii’s Request for Dismissal of Suit against Basic Health Hawaii"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Yokwe Online<\/a> reports, U.S. District Court Judge Seabright denied the State of Hawai’i motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit brought by Hawai’i residents from the Compact of Free Association (COFA) countries of Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau.\u00a0\u00a0 The State of Hawai’i cut off health insurance for these residents and instituted a lesser insurance program called Basic Health Hawai’i.\u00a0 This new plan does not cover many of the critical services needed by Micronesian islanders in Hawai’i, many of whom are refugees of U.S. nuclear testing in their home islands or of the intentional economic and social underdevelopment of their islands during the U.S. strategic trust rule over Micronesia.\u00a0 The COFA residents’ lawsuit seeks to restore equal health benefits as provided to other Hawai’i residents.<\/p>\n

While the United Nations mandated decolonization for all colonies under UN trusteeship in the aftermath of World War II, Micronesia was a special case under the “strategic trust” of the U.S. Essentially, Micronesia was treated as spoils of war.\u00a0 U.S. military and civilian planners debated how to administer the islands and fulfill the mandate to assist the islands in their process of self-determination.\u00a0 The U.S. wanted to maintain a permanent military presence in Micronesia and Okinawa to maintain hegemony over the Northern Pacific Ocean – the American Lake.<\/p>\n

Seabright’s rejection of the State of Hawai’i’s motion to dismiss the COFA lawsuit is a good sign that at least the COFA residents of Hawai’i will get their day in court.\u00a0 Unfortunately the hearing will be too late for the 27 people who have died since September 1, 2009 as a result of being denied critical care.<\/p>\n

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Source: http:\/\/www.yokwe.net\/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2706<\/a><\/p>\n

Court Denies Hawaii’s Request for Dismissal of Suit against Basic Health Hawaii<\/strong><\/h2>\n

U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled yesterday to deny the State of Hawaii’s motion to dismiss a class-action suit on behalf of migrants from the Compact of Free Association (COFA) countries of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the COFA citizens residing in Hawaii filed the class action suit against the State’s Department of Human Services (DHS) officials, challenging the new Basic Health Hawaii (BHH) program which reduces the benefits and services previously provided to critically-ill dialysis and cancer patients.<\/p>\n