Major Medical Insurance Carriers

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Five group health insurance carriers licensed by the State of Hawaii.

In Hawaii, we have five major health insurance carriers to select from: HMSA, HMAA, UHA, Kaiser and United HealthCare. The HMSA (Hawaii Medical Service Association), an "independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association licensee," according to the HMSA website, began in the 1930''s and later joined Blue Shield in the 1940's.

You have a variety of schedules, among them both HTMLOs and POS. In terms of prices, they are usually the most expensive - $$$$$$$. The HMAA (Hawaii Medical Assurance Association) was founded in 1989 by Arnold Baptiste, Sr., a Kauai-born in my home country of Kauai (way to go Arnold!). He was a small business lawyer and wanted to offer an alternate health insurance programme for small companies.

The HMAA provides 4 PPO schemes for small companies (1 to 50 employees) and 4 PPO schemes for large companies (51+ employees). Priced these boys are more competitively priced - $$$$ to $$$$$, according to the choices of the schedule. University Health Alliance (UHA), established in 1996 by a group of physicians from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Two PPO schedules are provided by us, from which you can select, with dentistry, visionary and prescribing drivers as add-ons. They are also competitively priced - $$$$ to $$$$$. Emperor Permanente, is a HMO supplier. A lot of non-Oahu people are reluctant to become members of Kaiser, not only because of the "restrictions" behind an HMO scheme, but also because of its historical absence or restriction of service in the external isles.

The Emperor has done much to alter this, I think, by constructing hospitals on the outside Isles and closing the gulf between the Oahu service and the outside Isles with state-of-the-art facilities. When special service is required and not available on the outside island, Kaiser will transport a patient's flight to Oahu for the required specials.

In terms of prices, Kaiser will almost always be the best prize - $$ to $$$$$. The United HealthCare Insurance Co. is a PPO supplier. I' d begin with Kaiser. HMAA and HHA will offer service and option to you when it really matters.

Or, if pricing is not a consideration and servicing is the most important thing, take a look at HMSA. Regardless of how you cut it, group health insurance is a piece of variation that is really difficult to swallow. Take a look at the health insurance groups.