Medical bills in Hawaii: free care, credit reports and your rights

Hawaii has no state charity-care law; nonprofit hospitals must still follow federal rules.

Hawaii has no state law that keeps medical debt off credit reports; the federal 7-year limit still applies.

Charity care means free or discounted care for people with low income. Hospitals also call it financial assistance.

Can I get my bill reduced?Is my debt too old?Can they sue me or report it?Free help

Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.

Federal rules for nonprofit hospitals apply in every state. Free help can review your bill.

Free tools, letters and checklist ↓

Some of Hawaii's rules rest on limited sources.

Check the official sources below, or ask a legal aid office, before you rely on them.

Can I get my bill reduced in Hawaii?

Hawaii has no state charity-care law. Nonprofit hospitals must follow the federal rules, and each hospital has its own policy: ask for it and for the application.

Is my debt too old in Hawaii?

Kind of agreement	Time limit to sue
Written contract	6 years
Open account	6 years
Oral (spoken) agreement	6 years

A lawsuit to recover a debt based on any contract, obligation or liability must be filed within 6 years after the claim arose.

When the clock starts

Six years after the cause of action accrued.

Law: Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-1(1)

A time limit to sue can differ by kind of agreement, and when it starts and what restarts it can differ; a court decides.

Check my dates with the free tool →

Can they sue me or report it in Hawaii?

Credit reports

No state limit

Hawaii has no state law limiting medical debt on credit reports.

Wage garnishment

If a court allows your wages to be garnished, no more than 5% of the first $100 a month, 10% of the next $100, and 20% of everything above $200 a month (or the weekly equivalent) can be taken. This is more protection than federal law.

Law: Haw. Rev. Stat. 652-1(a), (b)

Health coverage and Medicaid in Hawaii

Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid) is Hawaii's Medicaid program. Apply for it here:

Apply: Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid)

Where to complain in Hawaii

Health insurance: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Insurance Division · 1-844-808-3222
A claim denial, surprise bill or other problem with your health insurance.
Debt collectors: DCCA Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO)
A licensed collection agency broke state rules.
Attorney general: DCCA Office of Consumer Protection
Unfair or deceptive practices by a business, including billing or collection.

Free help in Hawaii

Free tools, letters and checklist

Good to know in Hawaii

Since July 1, 2026, state law allows the Office of Wellness and Resilience to run a Medical Debt Acquisition and Forgiveness Program, if funds are available, to buy and cancel medical debt of Hawaii residents with household income up to 400% of the federal poverty level, adjusted gross income under $100,000, and medical debt of at least 5% of household income. The Legislature set aside $500,000 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Law: Act 220, SLH 2026, SB 3025
Hawaii limits wage garnishment more than federal law: 5% of the first $100 a month, 10% of the next $100, and 20% of the rest.
Law: Haw. Rev. Stat. 652-1(a), (b)

Changes in 2024–2026

July 1, 2026: Act 220, SLH 2026 added a Medical Debt Acquisition and Forgiveness Program to chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, run by the Office of Wellness and Resilience, subject to available funds, with $500,000 appropriated for fiscal year 2026-2027.

Law: SB 3025

Questions about medical bills in Hawaii

How long can a medical bill be collected or sued on in Hawaii?

A lawsuit to recover a debt based on any contract, obligation or liability must be filed within 6 years after the claim arose.

Can a medical debt lead to wage garnishment or a lien on my home in Hawaii?

More help

Nearby states

Sources

Sources

National rules that apply in every state

Nonprofit hospitals (federal rules)

Each nonprofit hospital must have a written financial assistance policy (FAP).

Law: 26 U.S.C. 501(r)(4); 26 CFR 1.501(r)-4

Before any ECA, the hospital must tell you about financial assistance and wait at least 120 days from the first bill sent after you left the hospital.

Law: 26 CFR 1.501(r)-6(c)(3)

You can apply for at least 240 days from the first bill sent after you left the hospital.

Law: 26 CFR 1.501(r)-1(b)(3)

If you apply during the application period, even with an incomplete application, the hospital and its collectors must stop starting or continuing ECAs until the hospital decides, or until you fail to send requested information within a reasonable time.

Law: 26 CFR 1.501(r)-6(c)(8)

Once you are found eligible, the hospital cannot charge you more than the amounts generally billed (AGB) to people with insurance for emergency or other medically necessary care, and must charge less than its full gross charges for other covered care.

Law: 26 U.S.C. 501(r)(5); 26 CFR 1.501(r)-5

Surprise bills (No Surprises Act)

With most private health plans (job-based plans, Marketplace and other individual plans), you are protected from surprise out-of-network bills for emergency care, for non-emergency care at an in-network hospital, hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgical center, and for air ambulance services.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 300gg-111, 300gg-131, 300gg-132, 300gg-135

For protected services, you can't be charged more than your in-network cost-sharing (copay, coinsurance, deductible).

Law: 42 U.S.C. 300gg-131, 300gg-132

Ground ambulance services are generally not covered by these federal protections, unless a state law has different rules.

Law: CMS, Know your rights when using insurance

If you don't have insurance or won't use it, providers and facilities must usually give you a written good faith estimate.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 300gg-136; 45 CFR 149.610

If one provider's or facility's bill is at least $400 more than its good faith estimate, you can use the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.

Law: 45 CFR 149.620(a)(2)(ii), (c)(1)

Credit reports

A collection account generally cannot be reported for more than 7 years.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(4), (c)(1)

For a veteran's medical debt (care authorized by the VA from a non-VA provider, or a bill the VA charged in error), nationwide credit bureaus may not report it until 1 year after the care, and may not report it once it is fully paid or settled, when they know it is a veteran's medical debt.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(7), (8); 15 U.S.C. 1681a

If a medical debt on your credit report is wrong, you can dispute it with the credit bureau for free.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1681i(a)(1)

Debt collectors

A debt collector must give you validation information about the debt, including the amount and how to dispute it.

Law: 12 CFR 1006.34

If you dispute the debt in writing within the validation period, the collector must stop collecting the disputed amount until it sends you verification of the debt.

Law: 12 CFR 1006.38(c), (d)(2)

A debt collector must not sue or threaten to sue you on a time-barred debt, meaning a debt whose statute of limitations has run out.

Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)

Itemized bills and price lists

Your medical and billing records kept by a health care provider are part of your 'designated record set'.

Law: 45 CFR 164.501 (designated record set); 45 CFR 164.524(b)(2)

If Medicare paid for an item or service, you can ask the provider in writing for an itemized statement.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 1395b-7(b)

Every hospital must post online a machine-readable file of all its standard charges, and a consumer-friendly list of at least 300 shoppable services (or an online price estimator tool).

Law: 45 CFR 180.40, 180.50, 180.60

Medicaid and Medicare

If you qualify for Medicaid, it can pay for covered care you got up to 3 months before the month you applied, if you were eligible then.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(34), 1396d(a); Pub. L. 119-21, sec. 71112 (July 4, 2025)

If you are in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, Medicare providers may not bill you for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance or copays for Medicare-covered care.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 1396a(n)(3)(B); CMS

If your health plan denies a claim

You must file an internal appeal within 180 days (6 months) of the notice that your claim was denied.

Law: 45 CFR 147.136(b); HealthCare.gov

After a final denial, you can ask for an external review by an independent reviewer within 4 months.

Law: 45 CFR 147.136(c), (d); HealthCare.gov

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