Why Hawaii Has Lower Than Average Health Insurance Rates
Sunday, August 14th, 2011 by adminHawaii health insurance is low in comparison to the national average. When you consider that health insurance rates are on the rise across the country, it's intriguing to see that Hawaii is one of the few states where premiums are staying the same or only increasing by a small margin.
Hawaii is known to have a very high cost of living, which is usually a factor that increases health insurance rates - as is the case with states like Massachusetts. However, despite the cost of living, rates are low because the health of the population is better than what Americans throughout the rest of the country are experiencing, on average.
The average person in Hawaii is employed because of the high levels of tourism. As a result, they are able to afford health insurance more than many of those who reside in the continental US. They have a very low rate of uninsured people in the population, which means that hospitals and clinics aren't forced to treat people without insurance, which keeps costs very low.
There is also a very low rate of deaths in Hawaii as it relates to cancer or cardiovascular disease. Part of this is due to the recreation that is available in Hawaii, where its average resident is in very good health. They also have a very low level of smokers, which is estimated to be somewhere around only 15% of the population.
In addition to these statistics, Hawaii also has a large amount of primary care physicians throughout the various islands, which keeps the costs of healthcare reduced. When all of these factors are combined, it makes it easier for an insurance company to offer a lower health insurance premium.
Health insurance rates are based upon how much an insurance company will have to pay in the event of a claim. They need to remain profitable, so while they have to deal with rising costs of healthcare, their rates go up. In the case of Hawaii, however, those costs aren't going up because the residents of Hawaii are healthier than many Americans. When the costs are low (or at least not on the rise), then an insurance company has no need to increase the premiums.
It's easy to see how some of the Hawaiians are healthier than other Americans. They are surrounded by water and the island breeze, which cuts down on population. They aren't heavy smokers and they stay fairly active. All of these combined lead to better health.
Hawaii health insurance has gotten a hold of several federal grants in the past, too, which allows almost everyone the care that they need because of clinics for the underprivileged.

