Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 9, 1 September 2013 — The Connector: Gateway to understanding your health care options [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Connector: Gateway to understanding your health care options

am saddened by how many Native Hawaiians I know who don't enjoy good health. Chronic serious illness is keeping too many families from enjoying a satisfying home and working life. Hi'i Ola means to embrace wellness - something Native Hawaiians need to take to heart. In rural communities particularly, distance, laek of adequate resources and access to technology inhibit people's

ability to nurture healthy families and communities. But help is at hand. The Hawai'i Health Connector (The Connector) is a statewide outreach effort that links grassroots and community outreach with modern-day technology in an effort to improve the quality of life for Native Hawaiians, kama'āina and malihini alike. The Connector is Hawai'i's online health insurance marketplace where residents will have access to quality health coverage and hnaneial assistance. This is not a health insurance company. The Connector is a private nonprofit dedicated to helping the people of Hawai'i live happier, healthier lives by making sure that health insurance is easier to understand and to purchase. Hawai'i is at a crossroads. Improving and making health care more widely accessible is what has driven Obamacare nationally. Locally, this vision enjoys the support of our govemor and the community. That allows us to take real steps to empower Hawai'i's currently underserved communities. Currently, there are 89,974 Hawai'i residents who are uninsured and eligible to receive coverage through the Connector. Within this group, 62 percent have a full-time worker in the family and 38 percent are 13 to 35 years old. The Connector aims to reach across the Islands and help these groups leam about their health care options. Eaeh of us has to be engaged in this effort at empowerment. Every eommunity must eall on its own collective strengths and wisdom to determine what works best for them. Program specialists who know their communities are leading outreach efforts. Get to know the program specialist in your area and

make sure they understand your needs. Community partnerships The Hi'i Ola Marketplace Assister program calls for eommunity partnerships to reach out and educate Hawai'i's uninsured and underinsured. For many, making the right ehoiee for their 'ohana or their small business may be tough. Community partners help to simplify the process by employing kōkua, or

in-person marketplace assisters to provide impartial information about plan options. This allows families and small businesses to make the best health care decisions possible. The Marketplace The Connector offers people the flexibility to choose health insurance that best flts their needs and budget. It helps them compare health plans from multiple companies, flnd out if they qualify for savings, enroll in the plan of their choosing and do it all in one convenient plaee. Financial assistance People ean consult the Connector to flnd linaneial help from the federal government to lower their health coverage costs in 2014. Federal subsidies ean lower the cost of monthly premiums or reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Individuals and families will be able to learn if they qualify for low-cost or no-cost health insurance. Federal tax credits may also help qualifled small businesses make health insurance coverage affordable for them and their employees. Here too, the Connector ean be a useful resource. Take your health into your own hands. Go to www.hawaiihealthconnector.com and sign up for email updates. Open enrollment is this fall, so start learning about your options and don't forget coverage begins as early as January 1, 2014. Now more than ever, Native Hawaiians ean do something to improve the health of their families and their eommunities. I urge you to take action today to better understand your options. And begin the joumey to better health. ■

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Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey Trustee, Maui