A recent state initiative designed to help reduce unemployment and create jobs could help your business pay health insurance premiums for new hires.

Under the Hawaii Premium Plus (HPP) program, the state will reimburse employers up to $140 per month for 12 consecutive months for each new qualified employee hired.

Currently, to be eligible, employers must:

• Have 50 or fewer employees as of January 1, 2010;
• Intend to employ the new staff members for at least 32 hours per week for a minimum 24 consecutive months;

• Hire these eligible employees between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011;
• Provide these new employees health insurance in accordance with the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act; and
• Have an increase in total number of employees compared to January 1, 2010.

Qualified employees must:

• Be age 18 or older and legally reside in Hawaii;
• Have been unemployed for at least six consecutive weeks prior to being hired;
• Not exceed family income limits defined by the HPP program; and
• Be informed that the information in this application will be shared with the state and agree to its submission.

If you think you may have eligible employees, we encourage you to act quickly; HPP is limited to the first 6,450 employees statewide approved for the program.

ALTRES is ready to support your organization in taking advantage of the HPP program.  
Contact us for more information.

The Department of Human Services has posted details online at premiumplus.hawaii.gov