Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698745975433.pdf (Micronesia, Federated States of)
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA SECOND SPECIAL SESSION, 2009 C.R.

NO.

16-58 A RESOLUTION Respectfully requesting the State of Hawaii to continue to provide comprehensive health care benefits to Micronesians legally residing in Hawaii pursuant to the Compact of Free Association, and for other purposes.
1 WHEREAS, the United States of America and the Federated 2 States of Micronesia (FSM) have been in a Compact of Free 3 Association (Compact) since 1986; and 4 WHEREAS, under the Compact, citizens of the FSM may travel 5 freely, reside, work and attend school in the United States 6 without durational limits; and 7 WHEREAS, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 8 Reconciliation Act passed in the United States in 1996 made 9 Micronesians legally residing in the United States ineligible for 10 many federally funded services, including federal matching funds 11 for Medicaid; and 12 WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has acted in a most 13 humanitarian manner by continuing to provide Medicaid, known as 14 Med Quest, to Micronesians living in Hawaii without federally 15 matched funds; and 16 WHEREAS, the Hawaii Department of Human Services is 17 attempting to implement a new health insurance program for low- 18 income adults who are not U.S. citizens, including Micronesians, 19 called Basic Health Hawaii; and 20 WHEREAS, the 2000 census reported approximately 13,000 CRL 16-60 C.R.
NO.
16-58 1 Micronesians living in Hawaii, and it is anticipated that the 2010 2 census will reflect a great increase in that number; and 3 WHEREAS, many Micronesians currently living in Hawaii need 4 and receive life-saving treatment, including chemotherapy, 5 dialysis and treatment for cardiopulmonary diseases, under the 6 current Med Quest insurance program; and 7 WHEREAS, the proposed Basic Health Hawaii insurance program 8 contains many reductions in benefit coverage compared to the 9 current Med Quest insurance coverage, including elimination of 10 coverage for chemotherapy and dialysis patients, and limited 11 coverage for people suffering from cardiopulmonary diseases; and 12 WHEREAS, Micronesians in need of life-saving and life- 13 sustaining treatments will be irreparably harmed by denial of 14 necessary health benefits if the Basic Health Hawaii program is 15 implemented; and 16 WHEREAS, the Healthcare Reform Bill passed by the United 17 States House of Representatives, H.R.
3200, included language that 18 would reinstate the eligibility for federal matching Medicaid 19 funds for Micronesians living in Hawaii; and 20 WHEREAS, additional time is needed by the people of the FSM 21 to find a solution to the health care needs of Micronesians 22 living in Hawaii, including time to learn the outcome of the 23 final HealthCare Reform measure currently pending in the United 24 States Senate and to determine the accurate number of 25 Micronesians living in Hawaii based on the 2010 census results; 2 of 4 C.R.
NO.
16-58 1 2 now, therefore BE IT RESOLVED by the Sixteenth Congress of the Federated 3 States of Micronesia, Second Special Session, 2009, that the 4 Congress hereby expresses its sincere appreciation and gratitude 5 to the State of Hawaii for providing Micronesians living in Hawaii 6 with the Med Quest insurance coverage since 1997; and 7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Sixteenth Congress of the 8 Federated States of Micronesia, Second Special Session, 2009, 9 respectfully requests that the State of Hawaii continue to provide 10 Micronesians living in Hawaii insurance coverage under the current 11 Med Quest, or a comparable, program while the leaders of the FSM 12 dutifully search for solutions and adequate alternative health 13 coverage for our citizens whose lives depend on their current 14 medical coverage under Med Quest; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this 3 of 4 C.R.
NO.

16-58 resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the State of Hawaii, the President of the Senate of the State of Hawaii, and the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Federated States of Micronesia.

1 Date: 12/3/09 Introduced by: /s/ Setiro Paul Setiro Paul 8 9 10 Date: 12/3/09 Introduced by: /s/ Tony H. Otto Tony H. Otto of 4