FAQs

Medicaid is a public health care program that offers free or low-cost health coverage to residents who meet eligibility requirements. On January 1, 2014, many states expanded Medicaid to a larger and more diverse group of people, including adults and children below certain income levels. In Hawaii, Medicaid is called QUEST Integration.

Most individuals who qualify for QUEST Integration will have no monthly cost share, no copay, and no out-of-pocket cost for most covered services. Depending on your circumstances, a small monthly cost share may apply.

To qualify for QUEST Integration, you must meet certain requirements. For instance, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, and have a certain income based on the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines.

See if you may qualify for QUEST Integration.

You must qualify for QUEST Integration and live on an island where Kaiser Permanente has a contract to provide Medicaid Managed Care services. You must also meet one of the following criteria:

1. Were you a Kaiser Permanente member in the past 6 months?
OR
2. Do you have an immediate family member who is also a Kaiser Permanente member?

Kaiser is currently only available as a health plan on the islands of Maui and Oahu.

An immediate family member is a family member who lives in the home of a current Kaiser Permanente member and is one of the following:

• Spouse (including Domestic Partners)
• An unmarried dependent child under age 21
• A disabled dependent over the age of 21
• Married/Unmarried/Stepparents of children under age 21
• Foster child or stepchild
• Legal guardian
• A grandparent, parent, guardian or other relative who applied for QUEST Integration on behalf of a current Kaiser Permanente member that is under 21.

If you think you qualify for QUEST Integration, visit https://mybenefits.hawaii.gov/ to start your application process. You can also apply over the phone by calling Med-QUEST at 1-877-628-5076.

You can apply any time during the year – there is no deadline. When you’re declared eligible for QUEST Integration, in most cases, you may be able to get QUEST Integration coverage right away.

Learn more about the QUEST Integration enrollment process.

To check on the status of your application, contact your local Med-QUEST Division benefit office where the application was submitted.

If you’ve been turned down for QUEST Integration, you might still be eligible for federal financial assistance. Med-QUEST will automatically send your Medicaid application on to https://healthcare.gov/ for consideration. Or you can visit buykp.org to choose a Kaiser Permanente plan that meets you and your family’s needs.

Yes, families with higher incomes may find that only their children qualify for QUEST Integration coverage.

Please contact your local Med-QUEST Division benefit office for more information.

Most individuals who qualify for QUEST Integration will have no monthly cost share, no copay, and no out-of-pocket cost for most covered services. For others, cost-sharing may apply. Cost-sharing is based on certain QUEST Integration financial eligibility and is determined by your State of Hawaii QUEST Integration eligibility worker.

Medicaid and the Health Care Exchange both offer health coverage. Whether you get health coverage through Medicaid or the Exchange depends on your household income. If you qualify for Medicaid, your health care will be free or at a lower cost to you and your eligible family members. If you do not qualify for Medicaid, you may be able to get financial assistance through the Health Care Exchange at https://healthcare.gov/.

Your QUEST Integration benefits will stay active for 1 year if you have no change in circumstances (such as income, moving, adding family member, divorce). Each year, Med-QUEST will check whether you meet the QUEST Integration requirements before your QUEST Integration benefits can be renewed.

Learn more about the annual renewal process.

Yes, if you no longer qualify for QUEST Integration, you will have a limited amount of time to act to get other health coverage before your Special Enrollment Period ends. You should quickly see if you are eligible for financial assistance from the government by visiting https://healthcare.gov.

Losing health coverage such as QUEST Integration is considered a qualifying event that would trigger a Special Enrollment Period. You are eligible to enroll within 60 days of that event.