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Guest Membership on the Mainland for HMO Members

If you’re an HMSA HMO member, and you expect to be living away from Hawaii for more than 90 days, you may have access to participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) providers in the U.S. through the Guest Membership program.

You may find this program beneficial if you:

  • Are a long-term traveler.
  • Are on an extended work assignment in another city.
  • Have dependents going to school or living on the Mainland.

Call the HMSA Away From Home Care coordinator at 808-948-6466 or 1-800-776-4672 to see if the area that you’re traveling to participates with the Guest Membership program.

Prearrange your care

You’ll need to prearrange care in the new service area through HMSA.

  • At least 30 days before you leave, contact the HMSA Away From Home Care coordinator at 808-948-6466 or 1-800-776-4672.
  • The coordinator will research Guest Membership availability in the area you’ll be visiting.
  • If a participating provider is available, you’ll complete an enrollment form [PDF]. The HMSA Away From Home Care coordinator will send the enrollment form to the area’s BCBS plan.

Your Guest Membership

When you arrive at your destination:

  • The area’s BCBS Guest Membership coordinator will send you a welcome packet or letter with a list of physicians or instruct you to visit the host plan’s website.
  • The BCBS plan will generate a Guest Membership card for you.
  • Your Guest Membership benefits will apply only while you’re in the service area and may be different from your HMSA plan benefits. As a guest member, you’re eligible for the host plan’s benefits and must follow the plan’s provisions. If there are services that are a benefit of your HMSA plan but aren’t a benefit of your host plan, they won’t be a benefit for you while you’re a guest member.
  • Guest Membership privileges are available for most HMSA members up to one year. If you’re away from Hawaii for more than one year, you may renew your privileges for an additional year.
    • For dependents who are away from home, Guest Membership privileges must be renewed annually.

Note: Your HMSA plan benefits apply when you return home to your HMO service area or receive urgent or emergency care outside of the Guest Membership service area.

For more information, we encourage you to read:

CURRENT AS OF 12/07/2023