The legislature finds that despite the fact that Hawaii has the only statutorily mandated prepaid health care program in the country, as well as a broad-based Medicaid program which provides an array of medical benefits to Hawaii’s lowest income level residents, there remain in the State uninsured “gap group individuals”. Available statistics consistently reveal that an estimated five per cent of the civilian population of this State, or 50,000 individuals, lack any form of medical insurance whatsoever and are therefore limited in access to medical care.

The director of health shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 which are necessary to carry out this chapter. The rules shall include, but need not be limited to:
(1) Establishment of guidelines for the purchase of health care coverage from health care contractors by the department;
(2) Establishment of specific health care services to be covered, limited, and excluded by the program, including preventive services, outreach, and education strategies designed to reach gap group individuals;