Long-term-care insurance in Hawaii is regulated by the Insurance Division within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. This Division licenses agents, oversees insurance companies operating in the state, and handles consumer complaints — making it the right point of contact for questions about insurer licensing, producer conduct, filing a complaint, or the current status of any Hawaii-specific long-term-care insurance requirement.
The Division's own consumer guidance explains what this coverage is actually for: helping pay for nursing-home care, assisted living, or in-home care tied to chronic illness or difficulty with daily activities. It also flags something people often assume incorrectly — that standard health insurance and Medicare will cover these costs. They generally don't, at least not in the way a dedicated long-term-care policy is designed to.
Worth noting for anyone comparing states: current sources reviewed for this page don't show an active Hawaii Long-Term Care Partnership program open to new policy sales, so that asset-protection feature available in some other states isn't confirmed as currently operating in Hawaii.
Does Hawaii have a Long-Term Care Partnership program?
No. Hawaii doesn't currently have an active Long-Term Care Partnership program open to buyers, and it isn't part of the Partnership reciprocity network. A Partnership policy bought in another state won't receive Partnership asset protection when you apply for Medicaid in Hawaii.
That doesn't make long-term care insurance less useful. A policy still pays the benefits it promises, which can preserve savings and delay or avoid the need for Medicaid. Check current rules with the Hawaii insurance regulator listed below.
Sources and official resources
- Hawaii Insurance Division: Long-Term Care Insurance Information
- Hawaii Med-QUEST: Apply for Medicaid
- New York State Partnership for Long-Term Care: State Partnership Programs and Reciprocity map
- U.S. Code: 42 U.S.C. § 1396p (liens, estate recovery, transfers of assets, Partnership disregard)
Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.