Healthcare at the workplace

Myth: Employers will stop offering health insurance to their employees once the Affordable Care Act goes into effect and individuals are required to purchase health insurance.

Truth: For Hawaii residents, the ACA will not reduce the employer responsibility to offer health insurance in accordance with the state's Prepaid Health Care Act. However, people without insurance will be required to purchase coverage or risk paying a penalty. The Hawaii Health Connector, the state’s health insurance exchange, will provide residents and businesses with insurance coverage options through a one-stop-shop electronic marketplace to assist in this process.

Myth: Most Hawaii residents receive health insurance coverage from their employers, so healthcare reform won’t really affect me.

Truth: Most employer-provided coverage covers just the employee.  To pay for coverage for their families, the average employee contributes $3,273 (about 24 percent of the total cost) every year toward an employer-based family health insurance plan. If the cost of healthcare continues to rise, so will employee contributions. Increased premiums leave employers with less money to invest in other employee compensation and benefits or expand jobs.

 

Changing the way we deliver healthcare

“Our current healthcare system is not sustainable: Costs continue to spiral out of control while the health of our population deteriorates. THHP aims to improve healthcare services and outcomes, along with the state’s technology infrastructure, and provide greater equity in health status for all Hawaii residents.”

Virginia Pressler

Executive Vice President, Hawaii Pacific Health

Virginia Pressler