Health Care: Improving Access and Supporting Providers

 

The Hawai‘i Healthcare Educational Loan Repayment Program (HELP) continues to offer critical support to our health care workforce, repaying student loans for doctors, nurses and social workers. This $15 million program has already provided scholarships to 1,200 individuals, with plans for 900 more in the next two years. The program has been further strengthened with a $5 million contribution from Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff.  In exchange for two years of service in Hawai‘i, health care professionals in dozens of specialties can qualify for loan repayments capped at $50,000.

In addition, to the HELP program, Governor Green also signed into law a senate bill (SB1035, now Act 047) which exempts certain medical services from the general excise tax (GET). This legislation will provide relief to the healthcare system by specifically exempting hospitals, infirmaries, medical clinics, health care facilities, pharmacies and medical and dental providers from GET on goods or services that are reimbursed through Medicaid, Medicare or TRICARE.

Act 047 is viewed a potential solution to the state’s shortage of nearly 800 physicians. The legislation received endorsements from more than 155 health care professionals and a survey of physicians at the John A. Burns School of Medicine found that eliminating the GET on medical services could be an effective means of recruiting and maintaining more physicians.