Beyond Insurance

HEALTH NAVIGATORS:  Hookele Health Planners co-founders Dew-Anne Langcaon, Bonnie Castonguay and Neal Winn, say their company is the first of its kind in Hawaii.

The cost of healthcare goes beyond buying insurance. There’s lost productivity when workers are out sick or can’t function at peak capacity. People also miss work — or get distracted — when they are caring for a sick or elderly family member.

That’s where Hookele Health Partners steps in. Since September 2006, Hookele has helped about 100 clients navigate our complex healthcare system. Now it’s offering a new Caregiver Assistance Program for businesses.

Chief medical officer Neal Winn estimates that one in four workers has a commitment to family caregiving. A 2006 report by Metlife and the National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that each of those caregivers cost their employer between $2,110 and $2,440 a year in lost productivity and increased turnover.

“I think employers don’t realize the cost of healthcare is more than just your premium,” says Hookele CEO Dew-Anne Langcaon. She says those hidden costs include workers who are burned out, can’t concentrate and often get sick. Hookele’s navigation services are not covered by insurance, but the company says its experts can save employers money by managing healthcare costs and tending to details so employees can stay at work.

“They have peace of mind that everything that needs to happen is happening but they can still stay at work and be focused,” Langcaon explains.

Hookele customizes the program for each business and monthly fees range from $2 to $5 per employee. Langcaon says Hookele is the first company in Hawaii in the emerging field of health navigation — utilizing a team of medical professionals to help patients and their families obtain the best and most cost-effective courses of treatment.

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