{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/hawaii-congressional-delegation-reintroduces-legislation-to-safeguard-health-care-for-seniors-in-hawaii", "Hawai\u2018i Congressional Delegation Reintroduces Legislation to Safeguard Health Care For Seniors In Hawai\u2018i", "2025-05-07", "2025", "2025-05", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Jill N. Tokuda", "T000487", "tokuda.house.gov", "tokuda", "https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases?PageNum_rs=4&", "scraper", "Protecting Access To Health Care in Hawai\u2018i Act Would Ensure Fair Medicare Reimbursements, Help Retain, Recruit Physicians\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai\u2018i) and Ed Case (D-Hawai\u2018i) and U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai\u2018i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai\u2018i) today introduced the PATCH (Protecting Access To Care in Hawai\u2018i) Act as part of a renewed push to address ongoing challenges in Hawai\u2018i\u2019s health care system. This bipartisan, bicameral bill aims to ensure seniors across the islands can continue to receive quality medical care by adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates for local providers. The legislation is designed to ease the strain on Hawai\u2018i\u2019s health care workforce, making it easier to attract and retain doctors and ensure long-term access to essential services for older residents.\n\n\u201cHawai\u2018i\u2019s 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,\u201d said Representative Tokuda. \u201cThe PATCH Act is simply about fairness and sustainability. By adjusting Medicare payments to reflect the true costs of care in Hawai\u2018i, we can better support our doctors, strengthen local health systems, and ensure that our kupuna aren\u2019t left behind when they need care the most.\u201d\n\n\u201cNearly one in five of our Hawai\u2019i \u2018ohana are now age 65 or older and our senior population continues to grow rapidly,\u201d said Representative Case. \u201cThe PATCH Act reinforces our commitment to Hawai\u2018i\u2019s kupuna by ensuring that their medical practitioners are adequately compensated for the care they provide to our seniors.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs more people reach Medicare age in Hawai\u2018i, we are seeing fewer health care providers because of the rising operating and living costs in our state,\u201d said Senator Schatz. \u201cOur bill would help fix that, boosting Medicare payments to providers and protecting health care access for the 300,000 seniors in Hawai\u2018i that rely on Medicare.\u201d\n\n\u201cHundreds of thousands of seniors rely on Medicare throughout Hawai\u2018i, yet there are numerous obstacles that prevent them from accessing the care they need,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cHawai\u2018i\u2019s high cost of living and unique geography make it difficult to attract and retain physicians, further exacerbating the state\u2019s 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.\u201d\n\nHawai\u2018i faces the lowest Medicare physician reimbursement rates in the nation, despite bearing some of the highest medical operating costs. This mismatch has placed added pressure on the state\u2019s health care providers and strained access to care for Medicare patients. The PATCH Act proposes a 24% increase in payments to physicians, aiming to better align compensation with the actual cost of delivering care in Hawai\u2018i and help retain a strong provider network to serve the state\u2019s 300,000 Medicare recipients.\n\n\u201cThere is a serious workforce shortage in Hawai\u2018i that affects the ability of residents in the state to access timely care. We\u2019ve 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\u2018i 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,\u201d said Hilton Raethel, President and CEO of Healthcare Association of Hawai\u2018i.\n\nThe full text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:49:36Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/hawaii-congressional-delegation-reintroduces-legislation-to-safeguard-health-care-for-seniors-in-hawaii"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5740469098091125, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}