Schatz Visits Queen’s Medical Center, Meets With Providers, Administrators To Discuss Need To Protect Health Care Amid Trump’s Proposed Funding Cuts To Med-QUEST

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today visited the Queen’s Medical Center to discuss the hospital’s federal funding disruptions, growing emergency department pressures, and threats to funding for Hawai‘i’s Medicaid program, known as Med-QUEST, from President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. Schatz met with Queen’s leadership, toured facilities, and heard directly about the importance of federal support, as Med-QUEST recipients account for a significant share of Queen’s patients.

“Republicans in Congress are trying to gut funding to Med-QUEST — a program that thousands of people across Hawai‘i rely on — to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Our providers are doing everything they can to provide excellent care to patients, no matter their ability to pay, but this plan would make their jobs much harder and put lives at risk.”

Queen’s Health Systems leadership outlined how proposed cuts to Medicaid could have a devastating impact for more than 100,000 Hawai‘i residents. The leaders also highlighted the need to invest in emergency department capacity and mental health care, especially as demand for services rises across the state.

Schatz recently secured federal funding for priority projects to sustain and advance Queen’s Health System, including $3 million for a sophisticated air handling system and $300,000 to increase access to telehealth for Hawai‘i’s seniors.

Schatz is currently working in the Senate to prevent Republicans’ plans to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy by gutting Medicaid and other vital services for working people.

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