Medicare in Kalawao County, Hawaii
Kalawao County is the smallest county in the United States — a remote peninsula on the north shore of Molokai with about 80 residents. Medicare and federal health resources here are coordinated through the National Park Service and the State of Hawaii Department of Health.
About Kalawao County
Kalawao County consists solely of the Kalaupapa peninsula on Molokai. The area is administered as Kalaupapa National Historical Park, established in 1980 to honor the legacy of the Hansen's disease (leprosy) settlement that operated there from 1866 to 1969. The historical settlement is home to a small number of remaining residents — many of whom are former patients who chose to stay.
For Medicare purposes, Kalawao residents follow federal Medicare rules and have access to the same Medicare benefits as residents elsewhere in the United States, with healthcare coordinated through the State Department of Health and the Kalaupapa Settlement.
Healthcare access
Routine and primary care for Kalawao residents is provided through the State of Hawaii Department of Health's Hansen's Disease Branch. Specialty care typically requires travel by air to Honolulu. Medicare-covered ground and air ambulance, when medically necessary, can apply.
Senior services
Kalawao residents are served by the Maui County Office on Aging — call (808) 270-7774 for ADRC, Kupuna Care, and senior services information. The Native Hawaiian Health Care System for Molokai is Na Pu'uwai, which serves the broader Molokai community.
For most visitors looking for Molokai Medicare information
Most of Molokai's population lives in Maui County, not Kalawao County. If you're a Medicare beneficiary on Molokai outside the Kalaupapa peninsula, see our Molokai Medicare guide, which covers the full island.
Free Medicare counseling for Kalawao County
Sage PLUS — Hawaii's State Health Insurance Assistance Program — offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling to Kalawao County residents. Call 1-888-875-9229 statewide.
Find a Medicare agent in Kalawao County
Licensed Medicare agents serve Kalawao County and can compare plans, verify your providers and medications, and enroll you — at no cost. Find a Kalawao County agent.