Off the Beat: Do-Not-Disturb Rule For Health Fund Execs?
We’re used to tracking tax dollars. We’re used to dealing with hard-to-reach people in state government.
But the EUTF administrators take the challenge to a whole ‘nother level.
A recent attempt to reach the administrator and assistant administrator of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund by phone for a story left us baffled.
EUTF Administrator Barbara Coriell has been on the job since at least January. Assistant Administrator Sandra Yahiro was acting director even before that. Yet neither of their names are included in the automated employee directory reached through the main EUTF phone number (808-586-7390).
After dialing zero to connect to an operator, we asked to speak with Coriell.
They said no. Calls cannot be transferred to the administrator.
Why not?
“It’s our policy.”
Even after being told it was a reporter calling, the answer was still the same: No.
Is it a written policy that we might look at?
“No, it’s just our office policy.”
How is the public supposed to reach the people — state employees — in charge of managing this trust fund? The EUTF lists $45.5 million worth of assets and serves more than 171,000 state and county employees, retirees and their dependents.
The EUTF is administratively attached under the state Department of Budget and Finance. But their do-not-disturb policy was news to the department.
We were told we could leave a name and number, or email a generic office email address and someone would forward the message. This method hasn’t gotten us very far in the past.
This doesn’t paint a positive picture of public accountability.
