Credit score: College of Hawaii at Manoa
Lengthy ambulance response instances, expensive and unreliable non-emergency transportation, and inadequate insurance coverage protection for travel-related well being care bills are among the many key findings of a brand new report launched by the College of Hawaiʻi Rural Well being Analysis and Coverage Middle (UH RHRPC).
“The Impacts of Transportation and Travel Access on Rural Health in Hawaiʻi” underscores the widespread challenges confronted by residents in rural and neighbor island communities when attempting to entry well timed and inexpensive well being care, and affords coverage options to handle limitations.
Though about 30% of Hawaiʻi’s inhabitants lives in rural areas unfold throughout six publicly inhabited islands, most specialty care is positioned on Oʻahu. The report discovered that residents of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi routinely face flight delays or cancellations, typically lacking pressing medical appointments and ready months for rescheduling.
The report additionally highlights gaps in insurance coverage protection, particularly for sufferers who don’t qualify for Medicaid, and the excessive out-of-pocket prices for journey, lodging, and meals related to medical visits. Maternal-fetal well being companies are notably difficult, with some pregnant sufferers needing to relocate from neighbor islands to Oʻahu for prenatal and supply care or threat emergency medevac transport.
“Improving access will require coordinated efforts across health care, transportation and policy sectors,” mentioned John Desfor, UH RHRPC coverage and information analyst. “We hope this research will guide meaningful action to improve transportation access for health care in rural communities across Hawaiʻi.”
A number of the shared coverage choices to handle these challenges embrace:
Improve emergency air and floor ambulance fleets
Assist group paramedicine applications and develop main care groups
Mandate non-emergency medical transportation protection in Medicare and personal/employer-based insurance coverage in Hawaiʻi
Set up a grant program for community-based organizations to assist housing for maternal-fetal sufferers relocating for prenatal and supply care
Assist regional well being hubs and cellular maternal well being clinics in rural areas
Increase interisland flight applications and discover cost-effective and sustainable various modes of transportation for well being companies
Handle airline reliability issues and improve airline competitors by leveraging the U.S. Division of Transportation Important Air Service program
Allow hospitals and clinics to be reimbursed for transportation
The four-part report incorporates a literature assessment, interviews with 40 stakeholders, coverage suggestions and a targeted sub-report on maternal-fetal telehealth.
“We appreciate the significant community engagement in this project from start to finish,” mentioned Aimee Grace, UH RHRPC principal investigator and UH Strategic Well being Initiatives director. “Many stakeholders met with our team to share their stories or contribute context and policy ideas. We look forward to working together to share these policy options further.”
The Hawaiʻi Public Well being Institute will host a webinar on this undertaking on August 18, 2025, midday–1 p.m. (register right here).
Extra data:
The Impacts of Transportation and Journey Entry on Rural Well being in Hawai’i. analysis.hawaii.edu/rhrpc/wp-c … ne-25-2025-Remaining.pdf
Supplied by
College of Hawaii at Manoa
Quotation:
Transportation limitations impacting Hawai’i rural well being care, coverage options proposed (2025, July 18)
retrieved 19 July 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-07-barriers-impacting-hawaii-rural-health.html
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