HI SB2088

Establishes a five-year voluntary portable health care benefit pilot program for nontraditional workers, including part-time employees, independent contractors, gig workers, and self-employed individuals not covered by Hawaii's Prepaid Health Care Act or Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

Requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner, to develop and administer the program, offering high deductible health plans or catastrophic health plans with health savings account options.

Mandates core benefit coverage for preventative care, telehealth services, and mental health access, with emphasis on emergency and catastrophe protections; participation by employers and workers is voluntary.

Protects gig economy companies from employer liability determinations based on health care contributions, specifying that such contributions cannot be used as evidence of an employment relationship for unemployment, workers' compensation, or disability insurance purposes.

Requires annual reports to the legislature through 2030, with a final report due before the 2031 session including recommendations on whether to extend or make the program permanent; the pilot program ends June 30, 2031.