Senior health care in rural areas may be lacking

Rural Waianae Coast where many people struggle with finances, cost of medical care and access

Carol Forsloff --It took nearly four hours to get a prescription for Tamiflu and another two hours to bring it home from Kaiser, along with a cost that included insurance support that would make it prohibitive for many elderly people on fixed incomes, which is a problem when influenza protection is particularly important for older folk.  Much of the problem had to do with poor or delayed communication, which can be an issue when Kaiser and other medical facilities have strained budgets and a burgeoning population of the medically needy.

The cost of key medication, especially during flu outbreaks, and the difficulties in obtaining it can create particular problems for the elderly, and most especially the poor elderly in rural areas, such as the Waianae Coast of Oahu in Hawaii.