Medicare by region · Lihue, Kapaa, Princeville, Koloa & Waimea
Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue, two public critical-access hospitals in Waimea and Kapaa, a VA clinic, no Kaiser service area — and Oahu a 35-minute flight away for most specialty care.
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Medicare in the region
Kauai’s Medicare menu is the shortest of the four counties’, and its care map is the simplest: Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue for most hospital care, Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital on the west side and Samuel Mahelona in Kapaa for emergencies and long-term care, and a VA clinic for veterans. Kaiser does not sell Senior Advantage here. Anything Wilcox does not do means a flight to Honolulu.
That is the whole case for looking hard at a Medigap policy on Kauai. Original Medicare with a supplement covers Wilcox, Queen’s, Straub and a mainland referral without a network or a travel rule. If an HMSA neighbor island plan fits better, we read exactly what its interisland travel benefit covers, and what it does not, before you sign.
Local plans to know: Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage’s service area does not include Kauai, so the Advantage choice here is HMSA’s neighbor island Akamai Advantage plans and whichever national carriers sell in Kauai County that year. Wilcox in Lihue is the island’s main hospital; Kauai Veterans Memorial in Waimea and Samuel Mahelona in Kapaa are public critical-access hospitals with 24-hour emergency departments.
Counties: Kauai (the island of Kauai: Lihue, Kapaa, Wailua, Kilauea, Princeville, Hanalei, Koloa, Poipu, Kalaheo, Hanapepe, Waimea, Kekaha; and Niihau).
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? The Annual Election Period is Oct 15–Dec 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan 1–Mar 31. Moving to another island or losing a plan opens a Special Enrollment Period.
Your options
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a local network — in Hawaii that usually means choosing between Kaiser, HMSA and a few national carriers, island by island.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider that accepts Medicare — Queen’s, Straub, Hilo Benioff, or a specialist on the mainland.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Med-QUEST.
About SNPsQuestions from Kauai
Kauai County typically offers HMSA’s neighbor island Akamai Advantage plans and a small number of national-carrier Advantage plans, every Medigap company licensed in Hawaii, and the full Part D lineup. Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage is not sold on Kauai. Availability changes each plan year.
Original Medicare with a Medigap policy covers any provider that accepts Medicare on any island or the mainland, with no referral and no travel rule. HMSA’s neighbor island Akamai Advantage plans include help with interisland travel when HMSA refers you to a participating specialist on another island; Kaiser refers within its own system. We read the plan’s travel rules with you before you enroll.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
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Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, HI License #18580338), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Hawaii SHIP at 1-888-875-9229.