In addition to raising Medicaid reimbursement rates, state lawmakers are trying several other approaches to retain health care providers in Hawaii.
“There are a number of ways to help the doctor shortage here,” said Big Island Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, who introduced several health care-related bills in the 2023 legislative session. “One is by paying providers more, the second is by bringing more in, and the third is by growing our own here.”
One item added to the state budget this year would fund a loan-repayment program that could incentivize local graduates to stay and practice medicine in Hawaii.
The budget would allocate $10 million in 2024 and $20 million in 2025 to help medical professionals pay off their education-related loans.
This would include any licensed health care professional with student debt, including doctors, therapists and nurses, among others.
The state budget is scheduled for a final vote before the session ends today.
The $30 million investment will boost the current Hawaii State Loan Repayment Program.
The current program launched in September 2012, and to date, has benefited roughly 76 participants, according to testimony provided by the University of Hawaii.
“Of the loan repayment participants, 80% have remained in Hawaii to practice, and more than half have remained at the site where they performed their service,” the testimony stated. “As of this date, there are 23 active providers in the Hawaii State Loan Repayment program with another nine providers applying for JABSOM’s Innovative Loan Repayment Program.”
Avery Olson currently is completing her residency as part of the University of Hawaii’s Obstetrics and Gynecology program. She’s hopeful the loan repayment program can keep other students in Hawaii as they enter the medical field.
“In Hawaii specifically, we need retention in rural populations and on neighbor islands,” she said. “I think this would make it easier for individuals in those areas to keep their doors open, which is really one of the most important things, keeping the practices they have now in order to keep providing care.”
Scott Grosskreutz of the Hawaii Provider Shortage Crisis Task Force also noted the loan repayment effort could help ease Hawaii Island’s physician shortage.
“Encouraging more people to go into medicine makes sense,” he said. “Trying to cover some of these educational loans will not only help more local kids go into medical training, but to stay in practice in the state.”
Lawmakers also moved forward with Senate Bill 674, which would establish an interstate medical licensure compact to help physicians coming to Hawaii from other states.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact currently includes 37 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, and five additional states have introduced legislation to join, including Hawaii.
“The interstate compact is one of the bills that (Hawaii Medical Service Association), Kaiser, and the military were all hoping would pass because it will help them recruit more medical providers to Hawaii,” San Buenaventura said. “We also know there are doctors here in Hawaii that are retirees who would be more than willing to work part time, but don’t want to go through the effort of having to get re-licensed and re-credentialed.”
Both the state House and Senate will take a final floor vote on the bill today.
Email Grant Phillips at: gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.