THE SENATE

KA ‘AHA KENEKOA

INTERIM OF 2025

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair

Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Vice Chair

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Chair

Senator Carol Fukunaga, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

DATE:	Friday, December 19, 2025
TIME:	1:30pm
PLACE:	Conference Room 229 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street

PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL

BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY

A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.

A G E N D A

The purpose of this informational briefing is to receive an in-depth report from the Department of Human Services (DHS) Med-QUEST Division on the current status of Medicaid (QUEST Integration) in Hawaiʻi, specifically addressing the recent and impactful federal policy changes. The agenda will focus on the Status of the Post-PHE Medicaid Unwinding Process, analyzing Hawaiʻi's eligibility redetermination progress and disenrollment rates. Discussion will cover Federal Policy Changes from legislation like the OBBBA of 2025, which introduces administrative burdens and increased eligibility checks that are projected to cause significant disenrollment. Finally, the briefing will examine the Correlations with Disenrollment and ACA Marketplace Transition, focusing on the process of moving ineligible individuals to the Marketplace, their qualification for ACA Premium Tax Credits (APTCs), and the potential severe consequences from the scheduled expiration of enhanced APTCs at the end of 2025.

The briefing will also include presentations from key Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs): Kaiser, HMSA, and AlohaCare. And two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC): Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC), and Hawaii Island Comprehensive Health Center (HICHC). Concluded by a presentation from HealthCare Association of Hawaii (HAH).

List of individuals/Departments that will be present:

• Department of Human Services (DHS), Judy Mohr Peterson, Administrator, Med-Quest Division (DHS Briefing Materials)

• Department of Health (DOH), Jack Lewin, Administrator, State Health Planning and Developmental Agency (DOH Briefing Materials)

• Hawaii Medical Services Association (HMSA), Jen Awakuni, AVP of Medicaid (HMSA Briefing Materials)

• Kaiser Permanente (KP), Jonathan Ching, Director of Government Relations (KP Briefing Materials)
• AlohaCare (AC), Mike Nguyen, Director of Public Policy (AC Briefing Materials)
• Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC), Leinaala Kanana, Vice President (WCCHC Briefing Materials)

• Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC), Cindy Yee, Chief Financial Officer

• Hawaii Island Comprehensive Health Center (HICHC), Richard Taaffe, CEO

• HealthCare Association of Hawaii (HAH), Hilton Raethel, President & CEO (HAH Briefing Materials)

Agenda

I. Anticipated effects of OBBBA (HR1) Impacts on Medicaid Eligibility By Judy Mohr Peterson of DHS – Med-Quest

II. Is a revival of the State Health Insurance Plan a solution for the uninsured? By Dr. John Lewin, SHPDA Director and former DoH Director

III. Effects on Medicaid Insurance Plan by AlohaCare

IV. Effects of Expiration of ACA Premium Tax Credits and Anticipated Impacts on Marketplace enrollment due to decreased subsidies and lack of access to subsidies for certain immigrants

a. Hawaii Medical Services Association Presentation

b. Kaiser Permanente Presentation

V. Consequences on Federally Qualified Health Centers

a. Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center Presentation

b. Hawaii Island Comprehensive Health Center Presentation

c. Healthcare Association of Hawaii Presentation

No public testimony will be accepted.

For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email HHScommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

FOR AMENDED NOTICES:  Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored.  If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808)586-6890.

_____________________________________ Senator Jarrett Keohokalole Chair	_____________________________________ Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura Chair
	_____________________________________ Senator Ronald D. Kouchi President of the Senate