Off-island medical referral program reinstated
The LBJ Medical Center decided during a board meeting on Friday, Nov. 17, that the off-island medical referral program will be reinstated using funds from fiscal year 2008.
This good news comes after the LBJ explained to the Fono several weeks ago that the program was discontinued because there wasn't enough funding to cover it, and that any patients traveling off island for referral treatment would have to pay for the costs out of pocket.
The use of FY 2008 funds is a must, considering that the LBJ accumulated an overrun of nearly $3 million during FY 2007.
The LBJ has $2 million allocated from their FY 2008 budget for the off-island medical referral program, and they are expected to submit a supplemental request to Governor Togiola Tulafono to cover the overrun from FY 2007.
Under the off-island medical referral program, the cost of transportation and treatment will be covered depending on the availability of funds, and it is reported that the annual budget amount will be broken down into monthly allowances to ensure that the program can and will remain active throughout the entire year.
The bottom line is, there isn't enough money to cover every single patient. LBJ sources say that the hospital's off-island medical referral program committee has been asked to prioritize the patient lists according to need, meaning that those with the greatest need will be placed on top of the list.
The off-island medical referral program refers patients to New Zealand, Hawaii, and will soon be able to refer patients to St. Luke's Medical Center in Manila, Philippines which treats patients from all over the globe including the United States, ASia, Micronesia, Europe and the Middle East.
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