Hi All,

How can I get health insurance for my whole family in Hawaii?

I just recently moved to Hawaii from Canada and am an independent contractor working here on a TN (I-94) visa. My wife and 2 children are going to be moving out here with me in a couple of months. One of the things I need to do is get health insurance for the whole family. Here is what I've tried so far.

I called HMSA but they won't give health insurance to anyone unless they've been living in Hawaii for 6 months and Hawaii is their only place of residence. I can't wait 6 months to get health insurance for my kids and I'm still considered a resident of Canada.

I called Kaiser Permanente who are less restrictive but they still require that everyone in the health plan have an SSN or TIN. My wife and children can get neither because they are here on TD visas (i.e. dependent visas). According to a social security web page,

Lawfully admitted noncitizens can get many benefits and services without a Social Security number. You do not need a number to get a driver's license, register for school, obtain private health insurance...

I've told them about this but my words fall on deaf ears.

As far as I can tell HMSA and KP are the health insurance providers in Hawaii. Because I'm an independent contractor I cannot get health insurance through my company.

Can anyone help? Does anyone have any advice or experience getting health insurance without an SSN?

Thanks in advance,
CanadianInHawaii