Small-business owners can benefit from the Connector

HMSA reveals its wish to shut down the Hawaii Health Connector’s Small Business Health Options Plan, known as SHOP.

With the drama and confusion stirred up by our "big fish," my experience as a "small fish" should be shared.

As a small-business owner, I say, "Please support the Hawaii Health Connector and SHOP."

I also ask that we commit to improve it and bring more value with even less cost.

I am the fourth-generation owner/operator of Nii Superette in Waipahu. Great-grandpa started the store more than 100 years ago to serve our customers. Since the beginning of Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care law, we have been loyal HMSA customers. Today, we employ 15 local residents, full and part time. They are the Nii Superette ohana and their hard work deserves the most that I can afford.

One of the most challenging things to give them is quality health insurance. With HMSA alone, insurance premiums never got more affordable. Then I learned about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Hawaii Health Connector.

I went online to compare the insurers’ rates and coverages. It’s sad to see that UHA chose to not participate. But my dream came true: I had a chance to reduce the premiums of my employees’ health care coverage, even at the highest level of coverage.

With tax credits that small businesses like Nii Superette can qualify for, I have the best chance to save the most money on good health care. Before the ACA and the Health Connector, our HMSA cost always increased.

Shopping for health insurance is now easier. Before the Connector, when I shopped for health insurance, the process took months. Insurance companies took weeks to return my first call for quotes and information. I read endless pages of contracts and hand-wrote so many pages of applications. After all my time, I still had questions and concerns. I felt that no one truly wanted to help me. Insurers just want to sell their policies.

Yes, my experience with the website wasn’t perfect, but I e-mailed for help. The Connector called back, the very next day.

Oahu program specialist Puanani Crabbe came to Nii Superette. She helped me through the entire process as a guide and mentor, not a sales rep. With her assistance, I made better choices. She even offered to type my online applications for me.

In the media, I have heard a lot of misinformation about Obamacare and the Connector. Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care laws are wonderful traditions that I want to carry on for my employees. Yet, small businesses and its covered employees suffer from murky processes and traditional increases from insurance companies. Obamacare and the Connector can improve our traditions and results.

I’m not expecting HMSA to close shop because it has posted initial losses, especially since it is good at making investments with our money. Similarly, we shouldn’t expect SHOP to close because it needs improvement. SHOP can benefit small businesses; let’s help it to deliver more benefits.

Mahalo to Connector interim leader Tom Matsuda, Health care Transformation Coordinator Beth Giesting, and Reps. Angus Mc-Kelvey and Della Au Belatti for their commitment to improve processes.

Don’t end the progress; let’s improve it with good information, smart people and hard work. I have some ideas, even –just ask me.