Best School District & Best Medical Care

[Monty]

Please help us make the right decision!

My girlfriend, her 14 year old son and I are intending to retire in Puna. I am coming for a visit in June. May stay 4-5 months before deciding on a suitable house.

My girlfriend's son is 14 now and I have heart problems. Medications have stabilized my problem for the past 5 years.

The most important decision factors thus seem to be Best School District & Best Medical Care. At least for 4 years, till the son graduates.

Then after 4 years, the most important factor is going to be Good Medical Care.

Thank you for helping us make the right decision!

Gratefully,
Lee, Raja and Monty

Since my house burned down, I now own a better view of the rising moon.

[Rob Tucker]

It is hard for me to say that Puna would be a best choice with issues like education and health care as priorities. Coming for a visit is a good idea. You should spend some time on and around Oahu as well. That's the location of the best health care in the state.

[Monty]

Thanks, Rob.

I will checkout Oahu also as you recommend.

Since my house burned down, I now own a better view of the rising moon.

[Rob Tucker]

Oahu has good access to medicine. There should be more variety in education opportunities for you son too. Honolulu is not all that Oahu has to offer. Affordability becomes a trip wire though.

[JerryCarr]

Monty, since I moved here full-time five years ago, both of your concerns have become worse, not better. The only way around them would be if you were able to get your stepson into one of the Charter Schools (usually there's a waiting list,) and get with an insurance program (like Kaiser) that liberally flies folks to Oahu for major issues. Although I like Kaiser overall, I have noticed in the past year or so that more and more routine things are going onto a waiting list and that some new members are having to wait to be assigned a primary care physician. One sometimes has to be assertive these days at Kaiser to get appointments and say "It's not acceptable to be wait listed."

[pslamont]

I have major health problems and my husband is a teacher here on the Big Island. I agree with the above. I can not get even adequate health care here and the school system is a backward disaster. Sorry to be so blunt but it is the truth.

You want to move to Hawaii because of the charm.... well part of the charm is limited to no inrastructure, very poor health care availability (not to even discuss quality) and a school system that ranks amongst the lowest in the nation in nearly every measure imaginable. You really need to visit and rethink this.

I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says

"Oh Crap, She's up!"

[Monty]

Hi Jerry,

Great advice. I will visit and rethink this as you suggest.
If I was able to get my son into a Charter School. Which one would be the best?
Also, I have pretty good health insurance from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Even if the insurance does not cover medical flights to oahau for serious issues, I could pay for it myself. I would just need a decent primary doctor on Puna. Is that possible?

Since my house burned down, I now own a better view of the rising moon.

[Monty]

"Oh Crap, She's up!"

Thanks for your help. When you say "very poor health care availability (not to even discuss quality)"
Does that mean that even primary care physicians are no good or hard to get appointments with? Does one have to get "wait-listed" for primary care visits too?
I do not mind the limited infrastructure as much. I am tired of living in cities. Right now, I am living in Atlanta, Georgia and i do not like it. But I like the "unconventional folks", which I assume Puna has in abundant quantities.
Rob mentioned Oahau as an alternative which I will check out also. Does Oauhau have any areas that may have the vibe Puna does?


Since my house burned down, I now own a better view of the rising moon.

[Rob Tucker]

I would suggest that Oahu's alternative side gets overlooked in favor of Honolulu. I will bet though that there are some very interesting areas and situations on Oahu.

[missydog1]

Monty, will you continue to have that insurance in Puna? You are self-insured? Very few primary care doctors here take new patients. A couple years ago, no one was and people were stuck with the clinic. The clinic is walk in and if you want an actual appointment you wait two months. The only good cardiac care in the state is on Oahu. They do some simple things here like stress tests.

A test or procedure that requires sedation means a trip to Oahu for TWO and overnight accommodation for one or two nights. Price tag for my husband's angiogram $800 apart from any copays on the medical. It is very difficult if you do end up in the hospital. There are basic rooms at UH Manoa for $70 a night if you want to have spouse or family nearby, and your companion has to find someone to watch your own house.

Any emergencies you experience living in Puna, your first stop is Hilo Medical Center - 45 minutes away, and not a cheerful, competently run place. If your needs exceed their abilities, you are put on a small plane to Oahu.

I understand your desire to come to Puna, but if you have known cardiac issues, I think you're picking a hard row to hoe for yourself.

As for the son, at age 14, fresh from the mainland, I think he would encounter a whole lot of attitude at the public schools, probably anywhere in the state. He is not going to be embraced except by other kids whose families have relocated. 14 is not a good age to have your parent(s) yank you away from what you know so that you have to start over, but your call, not mine.