Hawaii House Bill HR87

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/12/26
• Refer: 3/18/26

Caption

Supporting The Reactivation Of, And Urging The Governor To Appoint Members To, The Hawaii Health Authority To Plan For A Transition To A Maximally Cost-effective Single-payer Health Care System For The State, To Be Implemented As Soon As Possible After Waivers Have Been Obtained To Capture All Major Sources Of Federal Funding Flowing To The State Through Medicare, Medicaid, And Tricare.

Impact

The proposed single-payer system is expected to enhance efficiency by eliminating costs associated with billing and collections that currently burden hospitals and healthcare providers. It aims to streamline healthcare financing, thereby potentially reducing overall healthcare expenditure by up to thirty percent. This financial relief could also contribute to addressing local challenges such as physician shortages and access to care, particularly for those in high-risk and special needs categories.

Summary

House Resolution 87 (HR87) advocates for the reactivation of the Hawaii Health Authority to initiate a plan for transitioning the state to a single-payer health care system. This resolution comes in response to significant cuts to Medicaid announced in the Budget Reconciliation Act of July 2025, which could leave millions more without health insurance and heavily impact Hawaii's healthcare landscape. The bill underscores the importance of a new financial structure aimed at reducing administrative costs while improving healthcare delivery across the state.

Contention

While the bill presents a vision for a more affordable healthcare model, it also raises critical points of contention. Critics may argue about the feasibility of implementation, especially regarding upfront costs and the complexity of coordinating multiple existing funding streams from federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Additionally, concerns about the potential disruption to current healthcare provision and revenue streams in Hawaii may surface, as stakeholders debate the best path forward for state residents.