Health Care

... Native Hawaiians will need to comply with new work requirements to qualify for Medicaid .... 

...Trump announced on Thursday a plan to send $500 rebate checks to nearly 1 million Americans across 30 states for Obamacare overcharges. ...

...Vaccines are most effective when a large portion of the population gets them....

“...As we enter the 2026-27 respiratory virus season, we recommend the recently available updated vaccine formulations to reduce the risk of severe illness....”

... Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a final rule last month prohibiting states from using federal reimbursement for puberty-delaying medications, hormone therapies and surgical procedures ....

...Since its launch, the program has assisted 150 individuals....

...In addition to the payment, Meta must implement a sweeping set of safety features designed to protect children on Instagram and Facebook....

... BASF, one of Europe’s largest chemical manufacturers, celebrated the FDA decision ....

...Vaccination rates among kindergartners in Hawaiʻi were lower for the 2025-2026 school year compared to the previous year, while 'religious' exemptions increased....

... If you or a loved one is still waiting in long lines for dialysis, you can blame embattled former state Rep. Ryan Yamane ....

"...Goldklang had experienced mental health issues and had previously escaped from a mental institution where he had been involuntarily committed...."

...Hawaii's Supreme Court said a plaintiff's own negligence can't reduce damages for a defendant's intentional fraud....

... Verification recognizes Kona Community Hospital’s commitment to providing optimal care for injured patients. ...

...Kauaʻi District Health Office (KDHO) has released its report of the 2026 Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey....

...With the signing of SB 3025, Hawaii joins a growing roster of 27 cities and states utilizing nonprofit partnerships to purchase and forgive health care debt portfolios....

"...New legislation will help psychologists provide an integrated model of care for patients, APA says...."

... Program provides an early warning system for emerging threats ....

... SB 3025 requires the Office of Wellness and Resilience (OWR), now under DHS, to establish and administer a Medical Debt Acquisition and Forgiveness Program ....

"...The program's scope is currently transitioning away from purely voluntary engagement toward the 'MH-3' framework...."

... beginning January 1, 2027 ....

... patients with complex cancers, such as leukemia and brain tumors, were most likely to require out-of-state care ....

... joining other states' global settlements is easy, but if Hawaii doesn't initiate its own cases, it just isn't getting the message ....

... Joseph Dutton watched over the orphaned boys of Kalaupapa for 44 years ....

"Quan, a registered pharmacist, controlled Wellness Pharmacy, which billed for drugs that were not dispensed."

...from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program....

... HSH has undertaken a coordinated effort to reduce its census of justice-involved patients, which has allowed HSH to again admit civilly committed residents ....

... the story of a psychologist that was indicted on 32 counts of Medicaid fraud in 1984 ....

... SB3025: The Legislature's medical debt relief bill creates a timely opening to discuss deeper affordability failures ....

... New survey of Kaiser therapists finds that at least three-quarters say their next available appointments are more than a month away ....

“The findings outlined by the Office of Inspector General are serious and deserve a serious response,” said Governor Green.

...The Directory Is Lying to You: What ghost networks actually cost Hawaiʻi patients and why no one is held accountable....

...The numbers show Hawaii AGs Claire Connor and Anne Lopez kept Medicaid fraud enforcement at or near zero just as COVID fraud was spiking, thus allowing a massive wave of crooked COVID money to lubricate the system....

... HMSA’s same-day denial rate is 22 times higher than Kaiser ....

... Wayne Graves, Director of Human Resources at Hawaii Pacific Health, sits on the Prepaid Health Care Advisory Council ....

... AG Lopez acknowledged Hawaii “could do better” with indictments and criminal prosecutions ....

... Hawaii legal trends increasingly prioritize adult desires over children’s rights ....

... TikTok wants Hawaii’s state lawsuit accusing TikTok of deliberately addicting children dismissed, or at least moved to federal court ....

“...These defendants traded on the reputation of the Shriners Children’s healthcare system to perpetrate their multi-million-dollar fraud...”

... The Attorney General’s ‘Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’ worked only five cases between 2019 and 2025--they refused to touch this one ....

...whether Philip Morris can slash a lung cancer survivor’s damage by blaming her for becoming addicted to cigarettes....

"...the MFCU identified a number of challenges that have impacted its ability to initiate criminal charges and obtain convictions...."

... Vance named California, Hawaii and New York as states that have 'completely not taken the fraud issue seriously' ....

... SB3125 touted--but House Dems didn’t mention HB1875, sex change surgery for children.  Its on the Governor’s desk now ....

... Both HB1961 and HB1875 have effectively bypassed conference committee and are now on the Governor's desk ....

...House has voted to accept the Senate versions of both HB1875 juvenile sex change, and HB1961 protest outside Planned Parenthood thus they are now both enrolled directly to the Governor....

... The case over a banned pesticide used on banana plantations in Costa Rica has spanned thirty years and multiple courts ....

“One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool.” – George Orwell

... HB1875 juvenile sex change passes Senate 21-4 ....

... HB1875: Juvenile sex change passes Senate JDC ....

... For a pregnant mother on Molokaʻi, giving birth can mean having to leave home weeks before her due date ....