Benefits for seniors in Hawaii

Medicaid for people 65 and over

The Med-QUEST Division of the Hawaii Department of Human Services runs Medicaid. Health care is given through QUEST Integration. If you are 65 or over, blind, or disabled, Med-QUEST looks at both your income and your assets.

• Income: Up to 100% of the federal poverty level for Hawaii. For 2026 that is $1,530 a month for one person, or $2,075 for a couple.
• Assets: $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple.
• Over the income limit? If your assets are within the limit, the Medically Needy Spenddown program may still help once your medical bills are high enough. The amount you keep to live on is $469 a month for one person.
• What it covers: Doctor and hospital care, medicine, dental care, rides to medical visits, and long-term care. For dental questions, call Community Case Management Corp. at 808-792-1070 on Oahu or 1-888-792-1070 on the neighbor islands.

Long-term care. Med-QUEST can pay for care at home, in a community care foster family home, in an adult residential care home, or in a nursing home. You need an extra assessment of the care you need, done with your doctor. Medicaid may also pay medical bills from up to three months before you applied.

Estate recovery. If you live in a nursing home and are not expected to return home, the state may place a lien on your home to repay Medicaid costs. It cannot do this while your spouse or certain family members live there.

Coming in 2027: New work rules start January 1, 2027, but they apply only to adults 19 to 64 who are not blind, disabled, or pregnant. They do not affect people 65 and over.

Help paying Medicare costs

The Medicare Savings Programs pay some or all of your Medicare costs. Hawaii's income limits are higher than in the 48 mainland states because Hawaii has its own poverty guideline.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, and copays. Income up to $1,530 a month for one person, or $2,075 for a couple.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,836 a month for one person, or $2,490 for a couple.
• QI (Qualifying Individual): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $2,066 a month for one person, or $2,801 for a couple.
• Assets: $9,950 for one person, or $14,910 for a couple.

Some income is not counted, so apply even if you are a little over. If you get any of these programs, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically. Apply through Med-QUEST.

Prescription drug help

We could not find a state program in Hawaii that helps seniors pay for prescriptions. The main help is federal Extra Help, which lowers Medicare Part D costs. Hawaii SHIP can help you compare drug plans for free.

Extra state payment with SSI

Hawaii does not add a state payment for people who live on their own. If you live independently, you get the federal SSI amount of $994 a month.

Hawaii pays a supplement only to SSI recipients who live in foster care or domiciliary care, such as an adult foster care home. In an adult foster care home, the federal and state payment together is $1,823 a month for one person. It comes in one check from Social Security. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD) is a small state cash program for people 65 and over, or blind or disabled, with very low income and assets of no more than $2,000 for one person. It mostly helps people who cannot get Social Security. Call 1-855-643-1643.

Food help

Hawaii calls food help SNAP. It is run by the Department of Human Services.

• Rules for seniors: If someone in your home is 60 or over or disabled, the household only has to meet the net income test. Net income is what is left after allowed costs, such as some medical and housing costs, are taken off. The limit is $1,530 a month for one person.
• If everyone in your home gets SSI, there are no income or asset limits for SNAP.
• Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program: If you are 60 or over with low income, you can get coupons for fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs from local farmers. You apply through the local agency for your county each year. Call the state Office of Community Services at 808-586-8681 for this year's season.
• Meals: Home-delivered meals are one of the Kupuna Care services (see below).

Help staying at home

• Kupuna Care: For people 60 and over who need help with two or more daily tasks, such as bathing or cooking, or who have memory loss. It is not for people already in a similar program. Services include adult day care, rides, case management, personal care, chore and homemaker help, and home-delivered meals. Your county Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) checks if you qualify.
• QUEST Integration home and community care: If you qualify for Medicaid and need nursing-home-level care, Med-QUEST can pay for care at home or in a community care home instead.
• PACE: PACE is for people 55 and over who need nursing-home-level care. Use Medicare's PACE search to see if a program serves your area.
• Family caregivers: Your county office on aging offers caregiver training, support groups, and respite care.

Property tax and housing help

Property tax in Hawaii is set by each county, so the rules depend on where you live.

• Honolulu home exemption: If you own and live in your home on Oahu, the home exemption takes $120,000 off its taxable value. If you are 65 or over, it is $160,000. This rises to $180,000 on July 1, 2027. File by September 30 for the next tax year.
• Other counties: Hawaii County, Maui County, and Kauai County have their own exemptions. Contact your county real property office.
• Renters' credit (state income tax): If you rent and your adjusted gross income is under $30,000, you may get $50 for each exemption. People 65 and over get one extra exemption. You must have paid more than $1,000 in rent for the year. Claim it on Schedule X with your Hawaii tax return, even if you do not owe tax.

Help with energy bills

Hawaii's LIHEAP is called the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program (H-HEAP). It gives a one-time payment toward your electric or gas bill.

• Energy Credit: For help with regular bills. Applications are taken only in June.
• Energy Crisis Intervention: If your power or gas has been or will be shut off. Applications are taken all year, but funds run out quickly each month.
• How to apply: Send your application to the Community Action Agency for your island, not to a Department of Human Services office. On Oahu, call Honolulu Community Action Program (for example, the Central office at 808-488-6834). On Maui, call Maui Economic Opportunity at 808-249-2970. On Kauai, call Kauai Economic Opportunity at 808-245-4077. On the island of Hawaii, call Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council at 808-731-7009 (option 1).

Free help and counseling

• Hawaii SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Free, one-on-one help with Medicare, drug plans, Medigap, and programs that help pay costs. Call 1-888-875-9229 (TTY 1-866-810-4379) or visit www.hawaiiship.org.
• County offices on aging and ADRCs: Honolulu (Elderly Affairs Division) 808-768-7700; Hawaii County 808-961-8626; Maui, Molokai, and Lanai 808-270-7774; Kauai 808-241-4470. You can also start at www.hawaiiadrc.org.
• Executive Office on Aging: The state aging office, part of the Department of Health. Call 808-586-0100.

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for