Medicare help · Honolulu & East Oahu
From Kalihi to Hawaii Kai, Honolulu has the deepest Medicare menu in Hawaii — and the clearest fork in the road: Kaiser’s own system, or HMSA and the national carriers built on Queen’s and Straub.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in Honolulu
Honolulu County offers Medicare Advantage plans from Kaiser Permanente, HMSA and national carriers, every Medigap company licensed in Hawaii and the full Part D lineup. The care map is the whole question. Kaiser members get hospital care at Moanalua Medical Center and keep Kaiser only through Kaiser Senior Advantage. Everyone else uses Queen’s Punchbowl, Straub Benioff and independent physicians, which contract through HMSA Akamai Advantage and the national plans, or which any Medigap policy covers without a network.
Honolulu is also where neighbor island residents come for care, where the Matsunaga VA and Tripler serve the state’s veterans, and where a large share of retirees are EUTF members with Part B rules of their own. We compare what is sold at your ZIP code, confirm your doctors and pharmacy, and set Advantage beside a supplement so you can see the trade-off plainly.
Major care in the area includes:
Plan networks differ — we check that your doctors and hospital are covered before you enroll.
Downtown, Chinatown, Kakaako, Makiki, Manoa, Waikiki, Kaimuki, Kahala, Aina Haina, Hawaii Kai, Kalihi, Moanalua, Salt Lake.
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? The Annual Election Period is Oct 15–Dec 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan 1–Mar 31. Moving to another island or losing a plan opens a Special Enrollment Period.
Your options
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a local network — in Hawaii that usually means choosing between Kaiser, HMSA and a few national carriers, island by island.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider that accepts Medicare — Queen’s, Straub, Hilo Benioff, or a specialist on the mainland.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Med-QUEST.
About SNPsQuestions from Honolulu
Honolulu County typically has the widest choice in Hawaii: Medicare Advantage plans from Kaiser Permanente, HMSA and national carriers, every Medigap company licensed in the state, and all standalone Part D plans. Availability is set by county and changes each plan year; we compare what is offered at your address.
Only through Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage, Kaiser’s own Medicare Advantage plan. Kaiser is an integrated system, so a Medigap policy does not pay for care inside it. Its service area is Honolulu County, most of Hawaii County and the island of Maui; we confirm your ZIP code is inside it before you enroll.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, HI License #18580338), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Hawaii SHIP at 1-888-875-9229.