S.C.R. No. 144 Summary

• Urges the Governor to determine a course of action for Hawaii if the federal government cuts Medicaid funding, following a February 2025 House budget resolution proposing over $800 billion in Medicaid reductions over 10 years and elimination of the ACA expansion match rate.

• Requests the Governor consult with Hawaii's congressional delegation to assess impacts of pending federal legislation on Medicaid expansion and timeline of any funding reductions.

• Directs the Governor to submit findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the 2026 Regular Session convenes.

• Notes Hawaii's Med-QUEST covers approximately one in five residents and one in three children, with the state receiving 73 percent of its $3 billion annual Medicaid spending from federal funds, and that loss of federal support could cost the state $3.2 billion annually under one scenario or result in 156,000 Medicaid enrollees losing coverage under another.

• Highlights that Hawaii's Federally Qualified Health Centers serve 158,448 patients through over 100 sites and generated $215.8 million in Medicaid savings and $580.3 million in total economic impact in 2023.