Hawaii Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Hawaii?

Only one state – Vermont – was ranked higher in a 2008 study of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation.

The good news:

• Hawaii was ranked among the top 10 states in 13 of the categories measured – achieving the #1 ranking in three categories and #2 ranking in four more.
• In the past year, the incidence of infectious disease has dropped nearly 30 percent while immunization coverage has increased by almost 8 percent.
• Since 1990, the percentage of children in poverty has dropped by 44 percent.

The bad news:

• The prevalence of binge drinking in Hawaii increased over the previous year – and gave the state its worst ranking (44th) of any category.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Preventable hospitalizations – 1st
• Public health funding – 1st
• Cancer deaths – 1st
• Prevalence of obesity – 2nd
• Air pollution – 2nd
• Cardiovascular deaths – 2nd
• Lack of health insurance – 2nd
• Immunization coverage – 4th
• Poor physical health days – 4th
• Children (under 18) in poverty – 5th
• Number of primary care physicians – 7th
• Poor mental health days – 7th
• Prevalence of smoking – 8th
• Prevalence of binge drinking – 44th

See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Hawaii.

Does Hawaii have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Risk pools are state-sponsored programs to help people with a history of medical problems in their family to purchase coverage. These pools are for people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of a pre-existing health condition. These programs can vary significantly from state-to-state in price, benefits and number of people served. Often insurance companies doing business in the state are required to contribute to the poolto keep it in the black. In the best cases they allow people to be able to switch jobs or become self-employed without the fear of losing their health insurance coverage. Find more on risk pools here.

Mini-meds a guaranteed-issue option for those who are medically uninsurable

An option for the medically uninsurable is a guaranteed-issue mini-med health insurance plan. There is no underwriting and no health questions are asked.

These plans provide basic coverage but are not designed to help with catastrophic expenses. They can often count as creditable coverage, eliminating the waiting period for pre-existing conditions if you later move to an employer-based plan. Read more here.

Cover The Uninsured's guide on finding health insurance in Hawaii

Cover The Uninsured is a national effort to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance and to demand solutions from our nation's leaders. Read more information on its efforts. It is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

• Cover The Uninsured's facts on the uninsured in Hawaii and all other states.
• Its guide on how to find health insurance in Hawaii.
• Materiales En Español – Guías para encontrar cobertura de seguro de salud.

USNews health insurance rankings for Hawaii

US News does an annual ranking of what it considers the best health insurance plans in each state. Visit its reports on various health insurance or medical insurance plans being offered in Hawaii.

Official State Goverment Sites with Hawaii Health Insurance Information

Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Services Health Insurance Page -- Health insurance resources from the state of Hawaii including severable downloadable PDFs

Med-QUEST -- A program which provides health insurance coverage to eligible Hawaiians It covers all ages 64 and under but has certain requirements and income eligibility guidelines.

Hawaii’s Fee-For-Service Medicaid Program -- serves people age 65 and over, or certified blind or disabled, coverage is provided underthis program where providers are paid directly for their services. For all other individuals, coverage is provided under a managed care program called Hawaii QUEST.