Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation Introduces Bill To Strengthen, Protect Health Care For Seniors In Hawai‘i

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai‘i) and Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) today reintroduced bicameral legislation that would help strengthen and protect health care for seniors in Hawai‘i. The Protecting Access To Care in Hawai‘i (PATCH) Act would provide fair Medicare reimbursements to Hawai‘i providers, helping retain and recruit more doctors and protect access to health care for seniors across the state.

“As more people reach Medicare age in Hawai‘i, we are seeing fewer health care providers because of the rising operating and living costs in our state,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill would help fix that, boosting Medicare payments to providers and protecting health care access for the 300,000 seniors in Hawai‘i that rely on Medicare.”

“Hundreds of thousands of seniors rely on Medicare throughout Hawai‘i, yet there are numerous obstacles that prevent them from accessing the care they need,” said Senator Hirono. “Hawai‘i’s high cost of living and unique geography make it difficult to attract and retain physicians, further exacerbating the state’s shortage of health care professionals. That is why I am proud to support the PATCH Act, legislation that will help expand and protect access to health care across the islands by ensuring that physicians and other health professionals are being fairly compensated.”

“Hawai‘i’s seniors deserve reliable, timely care, no matter where they live. But our health care system is under real strain, especially in rural and Neighbor Island communities, where too many providers are already operating on thin margins,” said Representative Tokuda. “The PATCH Act is simply about fairness and sustainability. By adjusting Medicare payments to reflect the true costs of care in Hawai‘i, we can better support our doctors, strengthen local health systems, and ensure that our kupuna aren’t left behind when they need care the most.”

“Nearly one in five of our Hawai’i ‘ohana are now age 65 or older and our senior population continues to grow rapidly,” said Representative Case. “The PATCH Act reinforces our commitment to Hawai‘i’s kupuna by ensuring that their medical practitioners are adequately compensated for the care they provide to our seniors.”

Medicare physician payments per beneficiary in Hawai‘i are among the lowest in the country. While health care operating costs in Hawai‘i are substantially higher than in other states, its Medicare reimbursement rates do not account for those rising costs. The PATCH Act would increase health care provider payments by up to 38 percent, ensuring more doctors stay in Hawai‘i to help provide care to Hawai‘i’s 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries.

“There is a serious workforce shortage in Hawai‘i that affects the ability of residents in the state to access timely care. We’ve known for decades that physician reimbursements in the state do not accurately reflect the actual costs of providing care. Coupled with our unique, difficult geography, more steps need to be taken by Medicare to ensure that all Hawai‘i residents can see a doctor when they need one. This bill will provide long-overdue relief to our state by ensuring that physicians are paid fairly for their services,” said Hilton Raethel, President and CEO of Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i.

The full text of the bill is available here.

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