Hawaii’s health system possible model for national reform efforts

An article in today’s NY Times suggests that Hawaii’s health insurance system could serve as a model for national healthcare reform.
Do you agree?

What’s Hawaii like for mosquitoes?

There are several species of mosquito in Hawaii, two of which like to bite humans. So will you need to slather up with DEET in order to enjoy your tropical vacation? The answer is maybe, depending on a few factors.

Hand sanitizer now more common than the cold

Since the recent pandemic of swine flu, I’ve started to notice that hand sanitizer dispensers popping up everywhere: malls (like he one shown here recently installed at Queen K mall in Kahului), airports, train stations, restrooms, schools and even gas stations around the world.
Once found only in hospitals, hand sanitizer dispensed from plastic orbs [...]

F as in Fat in 2009: Hawaii ranks 5th lowest in nation for adult obesity

In F as in Fat: 2009, Hawaii fared well at 5th lowest in the nation for adult obesity at 21.8%. But the news is not so good for Hawaii’s children. Hawaii ranks 37th in nation for overweight kids, at 28.5%. Worryingly, the percentage of obese and overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states, according to the report.

Vaccines for travel to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon

I’m traveling to the Brazilian Amazon soon for the first time and wanted to find out which health issues I might face. Turns out, the vaccine against the yellow fever virus must be given 3 weeks before travel to affected areas in order to be effective. The vaccine is a single injection of 0.5 mL of reconstituted virus. In other words, it’s a live virus vaccine so there is a tiny risk of developing the disease from it. My doctor also recommended that I receive vaccinations for typhoid, hepatitis A and a tetanus booster. The total cost for these vaccines, plus the office visit to review traveler’s health tips, will cost about $500 cash.