Hawaii Medical Service Association

Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) is an insurance company in Hawaii. It was founded in 1938 and is affiliated with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawai'i.

External links

* [http://www.hmsa.com/ official webpage]

Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA)

Company Description
The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. A nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in 1938, HMSA is the most experienced provider of health care coverage in the state of Hawaii, covering more than 700,000 Hawaii residents – half of the state’s population.

HMSA’s mission is to help contain Hawaii’s health care costs by providing quality, affordable health plans; employee benefit services; worksite wellness programs; health promotion and education programs; and community services.

History
In 1935, a group of Hawaii social workers began creating a nonprofit, member-focused association governed by a community board of directors. In 1938, HMSA established its headquarters in Honolulu with 671 members. In 1946, HMSA joined the Blue Shield Association, established by nine medical plans on the U.S. Mainland. During the 1950s, HMSA introduced the Major Medical Plan to help protect members against the cost of catastrophic illness.

In the 1960s, HMSA developed health plans for senior citizens, college students, and the unemployed. Drug, dental and vision plans, and preventive benefits, were introduced. In 1972, HMSA introduced the Community Health Program, its first HMO. The Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974 required nearly all employers to provide health insurance to full-time employees. In 1980, Health Plan Hawaii was certified as a federally qualified HMO. In 1990, HMSA joined the Blue Cross Association and became the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) plan of Hawaii. In 1994, HMSA began contracting with Hawaii QUEST, a state program with medical, dental and behavioral health benefits for Medicaid or State Health Insurance Program recipients. In 1999, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) awarded Health Plan Hawaii with “Excellent” accreditation status, the highest HMO accreditation possible.

Health Plans
HMSA offers a variety of health plans, including Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans and Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, which are available through employers and for individuals.

HMSA individual plans are designed for people who are not eligible for coverage through employer group plans. Some health plans may include supplemental benefit coverage for prescription drugs and dental, vision, and complementary care (acupuncture, chiropractic care and massage therapy).

Health and Wellness Programs
HMSA’s health and wellness programs provide members and the community with resources to help them stay healthy and avoid costly chronic diseases. Programs include:
• HealthPass, a health risk assessment and screening program.
• Health education classes that teach the importance of staying healthy.
• RSVP (Reminder for Screening & Vaccination Program) to remind members to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations and health screenings.
• Care Connection, a disease management program for chronic conditions.
• Ready, Set, Quit!, a smoking cessation program.
• The Good Pregnancy – He Hapai Pono, a pre- and post-natal care education program.
• HMSA/Weight Watchers Hawaii, which provides discounts on Weight Watchers meetings.

Quality and Service Recognition Programs
HMSA’s Practitioner Quality and Service Recognition (PQSR) program evaluates HMSA providers and pays financial rewards to those who maintain a high level of patient care and service based on best practice guidelines and other medical performance standards. A similar initiative, the Hospital Quality and Service Recognition (HQSR) program, pays hospitals for achieving specific performance standards.

Accreditation
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation standards are set high to encourage health plans to continually improve their quality. HMSA is the only Hawaii health plan to offer both PPO and HMO plans that have earned the highest levels of NCQA accreditation.

Affiliated Companies
HMSA’s affiliated companies and subsidiaries were established in response to customer and community demands. Their goals are to support HMSA’s efforts to provide health care services to members and to supplement HMSA’s major health plan activities.
• Integrated Services, Inc. (ISI) is an HMSA subsidiary that supports health care providers with emerging technologies and resources to help them run their practices more efficiently.
• The HMSA Foundation is an HMSA-affiliated company that focuses on Hawaii’s health care industry issues through grantmaking, strategic initiatives, publications, and community programs. Two of the Foundation’s major projects are The Hawaii Uninsured Project and Health Trends in Hawaii, which provides objective, reliable health care data.

Leadership
HMSA is led by an executive staff and governed by a community board of directors. The board works with HMSA’s executive staff and serves staggered three-year terms. The 27 directors are from a cross-section of the community that represent government, business, labor, management, education, finance, the medical profession, religion, and the general public.

Location
HMSA’s headquarters are located in Honolulu, Hawaii, at:
HMSA Center
818 Keeaumoku St.
Honolulu, HI 96814

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]