“Beware of Invisible Cows!” We all see those bumper stickers while on our commutes. The sticker is humorous, but it used to be a serious problem.
“Beware of Invisible Cows!” We all see those bumper stickers while on our commutes. The sticker is humorous, but it used to be a serious problem.
The message refers to a time when feral cattle would gather on Mauna Kea Access Road at night. Foggy conditions combined with nighttime driving resulted in numerous car accidents. Many times, drivers would have no idea what they had hit.
We have invisible cows in health care, too. The health care system is so complicated, it makes it hard for us to see the situation and the problems facing us.
The Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act requires that health insurance be offered to any employee who works 20 hours per week for four weeks. When it was enacted in 1974, it helped thousands of uninsured families obtain health insurance coverage.
The PHCA also limits the employee’s premium contribution to 1.5 percent of annual compensation. That sounds great until you realize that it makes the true cost of health insurance coverage invisible to most people. It costs approximately $20,000 per year to insure a family of four. This is double what it cost in 2000. I was shocked when I learned those numbers.
If health care costs continue to increase like this, I can see our vacations, sick leave, wages and bonuses reduced to cover the shortfall.
When my family moved back to Hawaii Island in 2004, we needed to find an OB/GYN, primary care physicians and a pediatrician. We went through the same process any new family does. We asked friends and family for referrals and made what seemed like endless calls to doctor’s offices — and my wife and I grew up in Hilo!
We ended up with great doctors, but it was much harder and took longer than we thought it should. While the situation might change dramatically in a few years when many primary care physicians retire, another invisible cow is that there are no primary care physicians accepting new patients.
We all have stories about how difficult it is to find a doctor, but many local physicians are, in fact, accepting new patients. The East Hawaii Independent Physician’s Association has numerous physicians accepting new patients, and they’re listed on its website at EastHawaiiIPA.org.
The biggest invisible cow is the belief that health care is about treating disease, when it has to be about caring for health and well-being. A friend of mine had chronic back pain because of a work injury and was on medication to control type 2 diabetes. His doctor gave him “the talk.” He needed to lose weight, exercise more and improve his diet.
Fast forward one year. By walking every day and eating better, he has lost 30 pounds and is off the diabetes medications, completely. He feels better, is more active and does not need to pay for a prescription every month. It makes all the difference when we take personal responsibility for taking care of our health and not think it’s the doctor’s job.
So what can we do? I know I need to exercise more, and I know I can find 1,001 excuses why I don’t have time. I have two young children and a demanding job, but after writing this article I’m committed to doing it. After reading this article, I hope you will be committed to becoming your own health champion. You can start talking to your friends and family about making meaningful changes for yourself and our community. If you need some ideas, the Blue Zones Project has multiple opportunities per month to learn about gardening, cooking, living with purpose and living a long, active life.
In a previous article, Barry Taniguchi said, “The house is on fire!” That is exactly right. Our increasing health care costs are unsustainable, and at the current rate we will run out of resources to take care of each other.
Our only chance is to take personal responsibility for our own health.
Tony Kent, MBA, is the community engagement coordinator for Community First, and the father of a young family in Hilo. This column was prepared by Community First, a nonprofit organization led by KTA’s Barry Taniguchi and supported by a volunteer board of local community leaders. Community First was established in 2014 to help the community respond to the health care cost crisis and support initiatives that change health care from just treating disease to caring for health. To learn more about Community First, visit CommunityFirstHawaii.org.