PATCH Act

This bill raises how Medicare calculates pay for doctors and other clinicians in Hawaii. It sets a minimum level (“floor”) for the work part of the payment formula so that it can’t be lower than 1.5. This change starts on January 1, 2026, and it would not be offset by cuts in other places or services. The goal is to help keep and attract medical providers in Hawaii by boosting Medicare payments there.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Doctors and other clinicians providing Medicare-covered services in Hawaii; Medicare patients in Hawaii.
• What changes: The work payment index for Hawaii is set to at least 1.5, which means higher Medicare pay for those services; the increase is not budget-neutral (no automatic cuts elsewhere).
• When: Applies to services on or after January 1, 2026.