#medicaid

Ahead of the First Decking deadline on Friday, March 6, 2026, the committee passed priority bills focused on public benefits, social assistance, Medicaid, food security, and support for service providers assisting vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, kūpuna and keiki.

The Hawaiʻi Child Wellness Incentive Program offers a $50 reward for a well-child examination to encourage preventive care and support the well-being of keiki.

Gov. Josh Green will submit the Supplemental Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) to the Legislature today, outlining a responsible and forward-looking plan that invests in affordable housing, climate, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and core services for residents, while also preparing for anticipated federal changes.

Hawaiʻi residents with hypertension (high blood pressure) who struggle to afford healthy food will soon receive a powerful new prescription from their doctors: fresh, local produce. A new program will provide patients with $100 a month in vouchers to buy fruits, vegetables and poi at local farmers’ markets and grocery stores.

The UHERO second quarter forecast for 2025 reports: “sharp increases in US import tariffs, sweeping federal layoffs, and volatile fiscal and immigration policies are undermining consumer confidence, raising inflation expectations, and worsening the business outlook—both nationally and in Hawaiʻi’s visitor-dependent economy.”

US Sen. Mazie Hirono condemned a House Republican budget resolution that she says would cut about one-third of Medicaid’s projected federal funding.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez has joined 16 other attorneys general in urging the US Supreme Court to uphold Medicaid recipients’ right to choose their healthcare providers, including Planned Parenthood.

State Sen. Angus McKelvey and US Rep. Jill Tokuda are rebuking the administration of President Donald Trump for the loss of thousands of federal jobs as part of an effort to shrink government bureaucracy.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to provide input regarding the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Medicaid patients may soon benefit from a five-year federal waiver that allows Hawaiʻi MedQUEST program to use Medicaid dollars to expand services with community-based food and nutrition organizations.

Hawai‘i joins 12 other states leading the way with expanded continuous Medicaid coverage for children, alongside Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi is expanding its Hawaiʻi Health Access Program to provide affordable, high-quality health care to more residents.

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness, with a goal of improving quality of life for both the patient and the family. 

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today signed two tax related bills into law: House Bill 2404 provides significant tax relief to Hawaiʻi’s working families; and Senate Bill 1035 exempts medical services reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from the state’s General Excise Tax.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i encourages uninsured Hawai‘i residents who do not qualify for Medicaid to enroll in federal marketplace insurance by Jan. 16, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

UHA Health Insurance has donated $25,000 to fund a temporary obstetrics position at nonprofit Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center, which is facing unprecedented demand with the recent closure of the island’s only private obstetrics practice.

With more than 9,000 members on Maui, AlohaCare has coordinated with client DHS Med-QUEST, other Medicaid health plans, providers and Maui staff to ease the hardship and create flexible options for affected members. 

Hawai‘i has joined the rest of the nation in implementing improved Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services for Hawai‘i’s vulnerable residents including those with disabilities and older adults.

Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita (D-12, Upcountry, Maui) acknowledged that the committee’s approach included restoring funding to critical programs that were cut during the pandemic, tackling long standing large one-time funding priorities, and enhancing the state’s ability to withstand an economic downturn by shoring up its reserve funds.

The payments focus on supporting smaller health care providers that have experienced revenue losses related to the pandemic and providers serving Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Medicare beneficiaries.