Minimum Benefits Set for Hawaii Health Insurance Exchange

Governor Neil Abercrombie. File photo.

By Sonia Isotov

During a press conference this morning, Governor Neil Abercrombie announced the selection of Hawaii Medical Service Association’s Preferred Provider Plan 2010 as the benchmark health care benefits package for Hawaii.

This comprehensive benefits package addresses the 10 essential health benefits required under the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) and ensures all health plans offered in the individual and small group markets, both inside and outside of Hawaii’s health insurance exchange, the Hawaii Health Connector, will include these minimum benefits.

This selection outlines the outline the minimal coverage that health care insurers must provide during 2014 and 2015.

Collaboration between the governor’s office, the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) and Department of Human Services (DHS) included two public forum sessions leading up to the decision announced today.

The selected plan is the “broadest and most far reaching plan for Hawaii,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie, acknowledging that he is “very proud of all involved.”

More information on both the process and the package can be found at http://hawaii.gov/dcca/ins/health-insurance.html.