Hawaii may boost Medicaid payments to help patients access care
State lawmakers are considering boosting Medicaid reimbursement rates for health care providers in an effort to improve access to care for low-income residents who often struggle to find doctors willing to take their insurance.
In Hawaii, Medicaid reimburses providers at just 62% of Medicare rates Opens in a new tab for most services, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, while private insurance pays significantly more than Medicare.
As a result of the low payments, doctors and other health care providers often don’t accept patients on Medicaid, the federal and state-funded health insurance program that primarily serves low income and disabled residents, leaving members struggling to find care.
