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2003 SCI Demonstration Grant
Awarded to: Hawaii Department of Health
The Hawaii Department of Health was awarded a grant titled "Coverage for All" in 2003. This grant has supported a comprehensive strategy to achieve universal coverage within the state. Project activities include the development of a purchasing pool for part-time employees who work less than 20 hours per week - and therefore are not covered by the Prepaid Health Care Act employer mandate - and for sole proprietors. Other strategies include examining how to enroll everyone who is eligible into public programs and exploring the expansion of the SCHIP program to 300 percent FPL.
The Coverage for All strategy includes three other activities funded by other entities: expanding the capacity of the safety net; leveraging federal funding for Compact of Free Association citizens; and examining changing the Prepaid Health Care Act.
The Department of Health has worked closely with the Hawaii Uninsured Project, an initiative to bring together stakeholders from across the ideological spectrum to solve the problem of the uninsured in the state. The demonstration grant will build on the economic modeling simulations under a HRSA State Planning Grant and undertake public opinion surveys, key informant interviews and focus groups, and a social marketing campaign to educate the public about the uninsured and strategies to expand coverage.
Grant Highlights
- The grant team has turned its focus to the largest group of uninsured - those who are sole proprietors or who work part-time and therefore do not fall within the Prepaid Health Care Act. The team is modeling an individual mandate for the roughly 65,000 individuals who fall within this group.
- The team started an annual health policy forum. The third annual forum was held this past October to educate key business, community, and government leaders about current research findings and the impact of the uninsured in Hawaii.
- The team developed a private-sector pooling mechanism in conjunction with the state pool; conducted a cost-benefit analysis of uninsurance in Hawaii; managed the distribution and placement of an education video about Hawaii 's uninsured; and developed an updated policy brief for key stakeholders related to expansion of health insurance coverage.
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