Hawaii has one of the lowest rates of uninsured residents in the country at 4.1%, which amounts to just over 54,000 people. That’s as of 2019 and according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The nonprofit also found that of the people who still don’t have health insurance in Hawaii as of 2021, a little over half of them (23,600) are eligible for marketplace coverage.
That marketplace coverage is the kind that complies with the U.S. healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the ACA, marketplace plans have to cover pre-existing conditions and a set of 10 essential health benefits, like mental health care and hospitalization.
The law also outlines tax credits, aka premium subsidies, for people who earn between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. (In Hawaii, the poverty level is calculated using a state benchmark instead of the federal one.)
KFF found that of the people who could get a marketplace plan in Hawaii but who don’t have one yet, around 17% of them could get a bronze plan for free thanks to subsidies.
KFF also calculated average premium lows for 2021 nationwide. In Hawaii, the average lowest cost of a bronze plan is $314 a month this year. Silver plans have an average low of $467 while gold plans have an average low of $440. Note that gold plans, which are more generous, may cost less than silver plans in Hawaii.
These average lowest costs don’t include the tax credits that might otherwise make these plans even more affordable for some people.
Using data from our own marketplace, we estimate that a 40-year-old living in Honolulu and earning $37,000 a year might find a bronze plan for just under $99 a month after subsidies.
There are at least two marketplace insurers in Hawaii for 2021. They are Kaiser Permanente (not affiliated with the nonprofit) and Hawaii Medical Services Association. Costs, plan availability and coverage will depend on where you live.
Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Marketplace Eligibility Among the Uninsured: Implications for a Broadened Enrollment Period and ACA Outreach” (January 27, 2021)
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier, 2018-2021”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Insurer Participation on the ACA Marketplaces, 2014-2021” (November 23, 2020)