The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Health on Feb. 11, 2026.
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Feb. 11, 2026, 9 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 329 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Health
Rep. Gregg Takayama, Chair
Rep. Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB2558 — RELATING TO TELEHEALTH
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB2558, which would allow Hawaii residents greater access to telehealth services through out-of-state providers.
Expanding access to telehealth by allowing residents to receive such healthcare services from qualifying out-of-state providers would be an easy, practical way to mitigate Hawaii’s struggles with healthcare access and staffing shortages, which disproportionately affect rural areas and underserved populations.
The COVID-19 crisis was instrumental in showing the potential telehealth has to improve healthcare outcomes. Moreover, emergency orders related to telehealth during that time demonstrated that removing barriers to out-of-state telehealth access benefitted patients and providers.
Grassroot recently published a white paper that details how the state could improve outcomes and expand healthcare access by removing regulations that prevent Hawaii patients from receiving telehealth from out-of-state providers. Research demonstrates that improved adoption of and access to telehealth can lead to better health outcomes while reducing costs and unnecessary hospitalizations.[1]
Moreover, safely increasing patient access to telehealth across state lines could help mitigate Hawaii’s physician and specialist shortages.
Other states have embraced this strategy with great success.
Idaho, for example, allows licensed doctors to offer telehealth care to patients with whom they have an established relationship but are in the state only temporarily.[2]
Florida has gone even farther, having established a program that allows licensed out-of-state providers to practice telehealth by registering with the state medical board and agreeing to certain conditions such as liability coverage.[3]
To date, 27 states have some kind of special license or telehealth registration program in place that allow out-of-state doctors to offer telehealth services.
Hawaii’s geographic challenges make telehealth expansion a necessity. We commend the Legislature for seeking ways to remove barriers to telehealth in Hawaii.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Malia Hill, “Why Hawaii lawmakers should adopt interstate telehealth,” Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, July 2025.
[2] “Cross State Licensing: Idaho,” Center for Connected Health Policy. Feb. 13, 2024.
[3] “Cross State Licensing: Florida,” Center for Connected Health Policy. Feb. 24, 2024.
