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MEDIA RELEASE WellCare Health Plans, Inc. has announced that the Hawaii Department of Human Services, Med-QUEST Division, has selected the Ohana Health Plan to continue serving the state through the new QUEST Integration program. Ohana will cover Medicaid and other eligible individuals across Hawaii. The QUEST Integration program combines several state health insurance programs into […]

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MEDIA RELEASE Governor Abercrombie signed two important homecare bills into law today. HB398 enhances the efficient provision of home and community based care service by establishing a working group to review issues relating to the transition of oversight from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Health. HB529 supports stable environments for, and […]

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MEDIA RELEASE The Department of Human Services has announced it will restore Medicaid coverage for outpatient rehabilitation, prosthetics and optometry services to non-disabled adults younger than 65 years of age. In addition, DHS will not impose any limits on inpatient hospital services. Earlier this month, the DHS also announced that it will restore coverage for […]

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MEDIA RELEASE The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have approved Hawaii’s request to reduce the eligibility income limit for its QUEST-ACE and QUEST-Net programs to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), or $16,678 per year for a single adult. Currently, the state Department of Human Services (DHS) Med-QUEST Division (MQD) administers […]

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MEDIA RELEASE The state Department of Human Services (DHS) has posted for public comment a draft proposal for a demonstration project that would integrate healthcare services for clients enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. Approximately 27,000 individuals in Hawaii are enrolled in the programs concurrently. Clients enrolled in both programs currently receive Medicaid-covered services through […]

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MEDIA RELEASE Hawaii is expected to receive $86,000,000 in federal contributions toward the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) that determine the shared costs of Medicaid, Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka have announced. The funds are provided in a $26 billion state aid bill approved by the U.S. Senate. The bill passed Thursday, […]

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Gov. Linda Lingle has issued the following statement intended as an opinion/editorial on health care reform: ‘With Congress poised to reconcile the Senate and House versions of national health care reform legislation, this is a critical time for the people of Hawaii to understand why neither bill is good for our state or nation. To […]

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MEDIA RELEASE John G. Roth, Esq., West Hawaii Director of the Young Lawyers Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association, will present a program to help individuals become informed about Medicaid, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23 at the Kailua-Kona Public Library. Roth’s talk will include: An introduction to Medicaid; Alternatives to Medicaid; Eligibility requirements; Medicaid […]

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  MEDIA RELEASE Gov. Linda Lingle has enacted a new law that will benefit an elderly Hilo couple and other individuals and families in the future.  The new law allows two private-pay individuals to live in the same care home. Previously, the law only allowed one private-pay individual to live in a community care foster […]

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