June 19, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Friday, June 19, 2026

June 19, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 11:46 AM :: 333 Views

Act 67: Automatic Voter Registration Begins January 1, 2027

ADC Completes Purchase of Wahiawa Dam

'Children and Youth Fiscal Map' Charts Bureaucratic Cash Flow

Medicaid Fraud: Whistleblower Alleges Medical Giant Bribed Hawaiʻi Provider – ‘frequently caused amputations’

CB: … The crux of Ghosh’s complaint is that Abbott and a Minnesota-based subsidiary violated a federal Anti-Kickback Statute by illegally inducing Pacific Vascular to use Abbott devices and equipment in procedures, known as atherectomies, to unblock leg arteries. Ghosh also alleges that Abbott’s actions constituted violations of the federal False Claims Act.

Regardless of whether Abbott violated any laws, the lawsuit highlights the explosive growth nationally of outpatient vascular treatment centers like Pacific Vascular Institute, which The New York Times documented in a 2023 investigative report. The Times found that “from 2017-2021, about half of Medicare’s atherectomy payments – $1.4 billion – have gone to 200 high-volume providers.”

The Times detailed the cozy financial relationship between the outpatient clinics and device makers, which the report said led providers to do more of the procedures than necessary, and highlighted complications arising from the procedures, which frequently caused patients to need leg amputations.

In a response to the article, the Society for Vascular Surgery noted that none of the doctors featured in the article were board-certified vascular surgeons….

One problem with giving providers free equipment is that the providers may end up billing Medicare and Medicaid for the cost of equipment that providers didn’t actually pay for….

Congress passed the Anti-Kickback Statute in 1972 to protect Medicaid and Medicare from unnecessary costs. …

Whether Hawaiʻi state officials will investigate Ghosh’s allegations, and whether Abbott’s arrangements with Pacific Vascular were illegal, remains to be seen. The AG’s office has come under fire for not prosecuting Medicaid fraud cases. …

PDF: Abbott Whistleblower Complaint | DocumentCloud

Read … Whistleblower Alleges Medical Giant Bribed Hawaiʻi Provider - Honolulu Civil Beat

Act 295 Takes Effect: Your building permits could come through faster

ASD: … A bill passed in 2025 allows people applying for building permits for single-family and multi-family housing projects to request to have their permits expedited.

Starting July 1, an applicant can send a request to their county for an expedited permit if 60 days have passed since the initial complete application without the county’s approval.

Eligible projects must not be located within flood hazard areas or on storm-vulnerable shoreline parcels, and must still be stamped by licensed engineers.

The expedited process is temporary; however, by July 1, 2031, it will be repealed…

Read … New laws coming in second half of 2026

County Mayoral Candidates' Q&As

CB: … All the candidates for Kauaʻi County Mayor filled out a survey sent to them by Civil Beat and their responses are linked here in alphabetical order under their official ballot name. Each survey included one question submitted by a constituent as well. Here are those surveys, which you can also compare all in one spot on Civil Beat’s 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Read … Feral Cats, ICE And Overtourism: Kauaʻi County Mayoral Candidates' Q&As - Honolulu Civil Beat

Can Kauaʻi feed itself? Why food independence won't work

ASD: … Food independence is a luxury belief, says ASD columnist Sterling Higa, and it is most affordable to those who have never gone hungry….

Read … Can Kauaʻi feed itself? Why food independence won't work

‘Aina Kupuna’ tax relief legislation advances

HTH: … A Hawaii County Council committee unanimously approved legislation Tuesday that would establish a new property tax dedication known as “Aina Kupuna,” allowing local families who’ve owned generational lands for at least a century to pay minimum taxes and avoid being priced out of their ancestral homes.

The Committee on Finance voted 8-0 to send Bill 163 to the full council with a favorable recommendation, with Kona Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas absent and excused….

Read … ‘Aina Kupuna’ tax relief legislation advances - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Bicentennial of Catholicism in Hawai’i: Cathedral restoration, community events planned…

ASD: … Today marked the kick-off of bicentennial anniversary celebrations, soon to be followed by opening mass on July 9 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa on Oʻahu, as well as at participating Neighbor Island parishes, and culminate in a grand bicentennial convocation on July 7–9, 2027.

Led by Chancellor Deacon Keith Cabiles, the Bicentennial Planning Committee will coordinate faith-centered events, community gatherings, educational and cultural programs, global pilgrimages and a processional over the next couple years. Have an idea for an event or wish to partner? Email bicentennial@rcc.org....

Read … Bicentennial of Catholicism in Hawai’i: Cathedral restoration, community events planned…

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