State leaves Keiki Care funding to HMSA

Despite the state's pulling its funding, the Hawaii Medical Service Association will continue to provide insurance to Hawaii’s kids through the end of the year. HMSA announced Oct. 16 that it will continue the Keiki Care plan, a three-year pilot program that offers basic health coverage to children at no cost to parents, through Dec. 31.

Since April, the state and HMSA had shared the cost of the plan’s monthly dues, but state funding will now end on Nov. 1. HMSA will meet with its community board of directors next week to discuss the plan and seek recommendations for the future of the program.

"If there are going to be changes to the plan for 2009, we will share that information with parents and the public as soon as we can," HMSA Senior Vice President Cliff Cisco said. 2,000 children are now enrolled in the plan, which covers Hawaii children who have had no health coverage for six months or more or are ineligible for any other state or federal health program.