New program could help wipe out medical debt for thousands of Hawaii patients
KITV News
Published July 9, 2026
HONOLULU (Island News) – It’s a problem lawmakers say affects more than one in 20 adults here in the islands — mounting medical debt.
“You don’t choose to get sick. You don’t choose to get injured,” said Matt Prellberg of nonprofit advocacy group Holomua Collaborative. “You don’t choose to have a medical emergency strike.”
But when it does, “you don’t know what the costs are going to be upfront. You just pay the bill as it needs to happen.”
That’s why Governor Josh Green signed into law a bill that could help wipe out medical debt through a program soon to be run by Office of Wellness and Resilience with half a million dollars in state funds.
“This is not something that people can go and apply for. People are thinking, great, I’m gonna apply now. This is something that healthcare providers look to see who is eligible, and there’s income requirements,” said Rep. Lisa Marten. “It’s about percentage of the debt versus your income. For those who are eligible, they’ll just get a notice, kind of like Christmas, that their debt was forgiven.”
Matt Prellberg, nonprofit advocacy group Holomua Collaborative, pointed to a prolonged life-saving hospital stay for his niece — that without insurance, could’ve bankrupt his family.
“They would have racked up approximately $2 million worth of medical bills,” he said. “They didn’t get a menu to choose what it was going to be and choose which procedures to use. They kept their daughter alive.”
Which is why he said it’s critical to help erase the burden for tens of thousands of Hawaii patients.
“Today we aren’t just erasing debt,” Prellberg said. “We are preserving our communities and making it possible for Hawaii’s family to keep their roots firmly planted here.”