Hoping to move to Hilo in a year or so: a few questions (Waimea: how much, house)

[Lapaki]

Thanks for all the great information, Hotzcatz! A decade ago, we had five rabbits, but now we're down to one, the others having passed away over the years. They're great pets, but it's always hard when a pet dies, and then of course there's the cost of vet bills. We also have two cats, but when they're gone, I suspect that will be it for us for pets. Never say "never," though...

Healthcare is our only real concern about moving to Hawaii. My wife's brother had a bad experience last year at Hilo Hospital. First, they misdiagnosed him. Later, a nurse got the wrong patient's chart and proceeded to argue with him over what he was in the hospital for. Then they injured him during treatment, and he almost died. They had to send him to Queen's Hospital in Honolulu. He's okay now, but he's pretty cynical about the healthcare system on the Big Island. It's a risk one takes when living there, I suppose. Whether Cigna can somehow hook me up with HMSA or Kaiser will be a factor in whether we can move there.

$200 to $250 total per sq ft is the going rate for building houses here in Portland, too. $150 seemed too good to be true, but I think you're right about it not including the foundation. We most likely will start with an existing house in Hilo and build later if we're able. Honokaa is charming. My wife spent her childhood on a cattle ranch up the mountain from Honokaa, and that was the happiest time of her life, so she dreams about getting acreage and building up there in part to get away from other people. We'll see where things stand in another year or so.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Healthcare is a real concern for those of us who live here. My husband and I have Kaiser, which we had when we moved here. We go to the Kona clinic and usually can get an appointment fairly easily. For basic stuff, that is. If you need an ENT or other specialist, then it's a bit harder. The ENT comes over to the BI one day a week, and others come over even less frequently. And, unless things have changed, you can get an Xray here but need to go to Honolulu for MRI or CAT scan. Even though Kaiser pays the airfare to Honolulu, it is still a hassle getting over and back when you only need a simple procedure.

The other issue is proximity to hospitals. We live in Na'alehu, and the closest hospital is 25 miles away. They are a basic facility, and a lot of times patients are transported to Hilo. We have friends with serious heart conditions who have moved back to the mainland for better treatment.

[terracore]

The Kaiser presence on the BI isn't great. You will have less trips to Oahu if you can get HMSA. My wife was able to get an MRI the same day as a doc appointment and the insurance paid for it (and no trip to Oahu).

A lot of people who have family on the islands actually choose Kaiser BECAUSE of the trips to Oahu. One person told me they are always issued full-flex tickets so if they get sent to Oahu for a scan or whatever they can change the return date at little or no cost and visit family on Kaiser's airfare dime. This concept never made sense to me, maybe it's a symptom of what's wrong with our healthcare system. When I lived in Alaska one of the MRI machines was never used after banker's hours, and one of the veterinarians was allowed to use it after hours, though that was a rare occurrence. Meanwhile people on the native healthcare system were flown to a different city to get MRIs, often returning at night because of the way the flights worked, where there was an empty MRI machine they could have used in the town they flew from.

[Amadrid]

Originally Posted by Grassyknoll

Yikes, that's steep!
We pay $1,400 annually for our home and umbrella (1mil) portion. Lava zone 2.

Who’s your carrier? I got a lower quote but I’m still looking.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Lapaki

We checked out grocery prices at KTA, Safeway, and Cost U Less in Hilo, and they were comparable to what what they are in Portland.

I'm not sure where you and the other person is grocery shopping on the BI - but groceries are more expensive on the BI than Oahu - and Oahu is more expensive than the mainland - just across the board - speaking as someone who is 25%-50% on the mainland every month, usually SF Bay Area.

Granted it depends on what one defines as "comparable" - but that 10% difference (or more) can really add up. If you come from CA, that is mitigated a bit by lower sales/GET tax at checkout - but coming from Oregon - a 100% sales tax free state, that will also add up eventually.

I do find it a bit ironic gas is about 5 cents a gallon more expensive than Oahu in the Bay Area though - but you will pay about 90 cents more a gallon on the BI than Oregon and they won't pump the gas for you for free like Oregon.....

[steiconi]

Originally Posted by terracore

A lot of people who have family on the islands actually choose Kaiser BECAUSE of the trips to Oahu. One person told me they are always issued full-flex tickets so if they get sent to Oahu for a scan or whatever they can change the return date at little or no cost and visit family on Kaiser's airfare dime. This concept never made sense to me, maybe it's a symptom of what's wrong with our healthcare system. When I lived in Alaska one of the MRI machines was never used after banker's hours, and one of the veterinarians was allowed to use it after hours, though that was a rare occurrence. Meanwhile people on the native healthcare system were flown to a different city to get MRIs, often returning at night because of the way the flights worked, where there was an empty MRI machine they could have used in the town they flew from.

Kaiser has a corporate account, so the airline doesn't charge for changes.
Plus, patient gets frequent flyer miles. But getting on a plane to have a colonoscopy is not fun. You can get a colonoscopy or CT scan in Hilo, but not through Kaiser.

And last I knew, Kaiser was trying to get Hilo side patients drive to Kona to see some specialists, passing transportation costs to the patient.

No, I'm not bitter...

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Lapaki

My wife's brother had a bad experience last year at Hilo Hospital. First, they misdiagnosed him. Later, a nurse got the wrong patient's chart and proceeded to argue with him over what he was in the hospital for. Then they injured him during treatment, and he almost died.

What was his problem, and the treatment that nearly killed him? What I think is more accurately called Sickness care does have a bad rap in Hawaii, just like Alaska.

"We checked out grocery prices at KTA, Safeway, and Cost U Less in Hilo, and they were comparable to what what they are in Portland.."

That's a big surprise for me. Prices in Juneau, Alaska-always listed as one of the more expensive places to live in the US-to Hilo and I find Hilo's prices are usually as high or higher. (Food, gas, utilities). But then, I don't shop at any of the stores listed in Hilo. Guess it's time to take a look!

[Lapaki]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Regarding the price of groceries, I checked one of the online cost-of-living calculators, and Hilo is indeed more expensive than Portland, so it's probably a matter of our not taking a big enough sample size. We checked out basic staple items at Cost U Less, fresh produce at the Hilo farmer's market, and a variety of other items at Costco when we were in Kona. Relatives who have visited us in Portland from the South have said that groceries here are more expensive than there. And it's true that I wasn't taking sales tax into account.

The healthcare situation seems quite complex, and is our biggest concern. We have at least another year before we'd consider moving, so there's still much we need to figure out.

[Lapaki]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

What was his problem, and the treatment that nearly killed him? What I think is more accurately called Sickness care does have a bad rap in Hawaii, just like Alaska.

It was a prostate issue, and they punctured his bladder with a catheter. I don't remember all the details. As for the chart mix-up, he told the nurse he was in for prostate problems, and the nurse argued with him, insisting he was in for gall-bladder problems, because that's what it said on the chart. When he told her where his pain was, she argued with him, telling him that his pain had to be somewhere else.

[67Cam]

I contacted Honsador a few years ago to ask about the cost of their home packages and other info. They sent me a pdf with a lot of good info. I'll post a few screen shots that may be helpful, but keep in mind the info is years old. You could reach out to them to get an updated version.

I especially liked the Not For Sissies part!