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Hawaii Medical Malpractice Insurance Guide

Hawaii law requires equivalent malpractice coverage for telehealth on policies issued, amended or renewed in the state from January 1, 2017, but the coverage remains subject to the policy’s agreed terms. The state also routes covered medical-tort inquiries through a pre-suit conciliation panel and limits one specific premium increase based solely on filing that inquiry. Match your telehealth workflow and claim process to the actual policy. 1,2,3

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice insurance can pay defense costs and covered damages when a patient claims a clinician’s care caused harm. If you provide health care, match the quote to your practice, clinicians, specialties and procedures, then check who is insured. Read the national Medical malpractice guide.

What to Watch for in Hawaii

  • Equivalent telehealth coverage still has policy terms

    For Hawaii policies issued, amended or renewed on or after January 1, 2017, HRS §671-7 requires malpractice coverage for telehealth equivalent to the same service delivered face to face. The section preserves other agreed policy terms and applies only to qualifying telehealth; it excludes ordinary phone, fax or email by itself. Give the insurer your modalities and sites and get the applicable form or endorsement. 1

  • Plan for the state panel when a medical tort is alleged

    A written inquiry about a defined medical tort must go to the Medical Inquiry and Conciliation Panel before a suit based on it may begin in a Hawaii state court. The panel notifies affected known parties within five business days and schedules a provider response and proceeding. Ask the carrier how quickly to report an incident and who will coordinate panel responses; statutory procedure does not itself decide policy notice or defense coverage. 2

  • A panel inquiry has a narrow premium-rate protection

    An insurer may not increase a provider’s premium rate on the basis of a panel inquiry unless an indemnity payment is made or the initiating party sues based on the inquiry. This rule does not promise no underwriting, renewal or premium consequences from other facts, nor does it change policy coverage. Ask how the carrier distinguishes an inquiry-only matter from a paid or litigated claim. 3

Who Regulates Insurance in Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Insurance Division

The Insurance Division oversees insurance companies and producers, examines Hawaiʻi-based insurers, reviews rate and policy filings, and investigates insurance complaints. It is part of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. 4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 4.68% of premium when Hawaiʻi is the home state Hawaiʻi applies a 4.68% tax when it is the insured’s home state. Surplus-lines coverage is placed with an unauthorized insurer, so do not assume the Hawaiʻi Insurance Guaranty Association protects the policy; confirm the insurer’s status and policy terms with your broker. 7,8

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Medical malpractice; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Hawaii. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 11
  • VouchVouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLCInsurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability. 15

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Hawaii

  1. Which live-video, asynchronous, remote-monitoring and mobile-health services, locations and clinicians are covered under the issued form?
  2. What policy notice deadline applies, and who coordinates a written panel inquiry and response?
  3. How does underwriting treat an inquiry-only panel filing compared with an indemnity payment or lawsuit?
  4. For a claims-made policy, what retroactive date, prior-acts continuity and tail option apply?

Medical Malpractice in Hawaii: FAQ

Does Hawaii law cover every remote encounter? 1

The statute defines telehealth modalities such as live consultation, store-and-forward, remote monitoring and mobile health; ordinary telephone, fax or email alone is excluded. Required equivalence remains subject to policy terms and accepted professional standards. 1

Is the panel step required for every dispute with a care provider? 2

No. Section 671-12 applies to inquiries regarding a “medical tort” under §671-1 and requires the panel before a suit based on that inquiry in a Hawaii state court. The statute and case notes exclude some nonmedical negligence claims; determine the claim’s scope before applying this rule. 2

Medical Malpractice in Other States

Other Coverage in Hawaii

Sources

  1. HRS §671-7: Professional liability insurance; coverage for telehealth. Hawaii State Legislature; Subsections (a)–(c); policies issued, amended or renewed on/after Jan. 1, 2017; telehealth definition and policy terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. HRS §671-12: Review by panel required. Hawaii State Legislature; Subsections (a)–(b); written inquiry, known parties, five-business-day notice, response/hearing dates; definition limited to medical tort under §671-1. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. HRS §671-15.5: Expungement of records; malpractice insurance rates. Hawaii State Legislature; Subsections (a)–(b); inquiry-filed premium-rate restriction and exceptions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Insurance Division. Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Official division homepage; scope, license search, complaints, contact information. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Insurance Licenses and Registrations. Hawaiʻi Insurance Division; Insurance license information; links to state-based system for license applications and status. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Filing a Complaint. Hawaiʻi Insurance Division; Online complaint form and published consumer phone. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Surplus Lines Tax. Hawaiʻi Insurance Division; 4.68% rate and home-state application under HRS § 431:8-315. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. HRS § 431:16-105: Definitions. Hawaiʻi Legislature; Defines a member insurer as an insurer licensed or holding a certificate of authority in Hawaiʻi; cross-read with HRS § 431:8-102 and § 431:8-301 for unauthorized surplus-lines placements. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  10. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  11. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  13. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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