Hawaii lawmakers want to make HMSA sell plans on exchange

Hawaii lawmakers want to make the state’s largest health insurer sell plans on the troubled state-run health insurance exchange.

A bill was introduced after insurer HMSA announced it would not sell plans on the employer side of the exchange this year. The company says it was having too many problems with the Hawaii Health Connector.

HMSA’s spokeswoman Jennifer Diesman says a business should get to choose whether to participate in a sales channel.

But lawmakers want more insurer options on the exchange.

Another bill would require that all plans sold on the exchange meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act’s gold-level plans. That would be important if the federal government took over Hawaii’s health exchange.

Lawmakers are tackling the bills in the House Committee on Health Wednesday.