The closures of Molokai Ranch and Aloha Airlines left hundreds of former employees struggling not only to find new jobs but also to get health insurance for their families.

While some have been able to receive help from Quest, the state's health insurance program for those in need, and the federal Medicaid program, most of the laid-off workers have found themselves in a tough spot, with too much income for government help, yet earning too little to buy their own insurance.

Former Molokai Ranch employee Mildred Hirose is now leaving her beloved island — as well as her husband and 21-year-old daughter — for Maui to find a job that will give her a healthcare plan.

"I don't want to move, but I don't have health insurance. At my age, you don't know when your body is going to turn down on you," said Hirose, 58. "I'm worried that I'll be left with no medical."

For recently unemployed workers who are struggling to make ends meet, there is help available through the Neighbors in Need fund, a joint initiative by Helping Hands Hawai'i and The Honolulu Advertiser. The fund, which has raised $139,882 so far, is helping recently laid-off workers pay for gas, housing costs and utility bills, among other things.

ASSETS A HURDLE TO AID

Former Aloha Airlines customer service and ramp agent Aaron Chun, 26, had his health insurance provided under COBRA for two months after the airline discontinued its passenger services.

COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, requires certain employers to continue providing health insurance coverage to former employees, although the former employees have to pay the full cost.

Chun, who suffers from the rare blood clotting disorder hemophilia B, paid more than $400 a month under COBRA.

When the COBRA coverage ended, Chun found himself without a job and without a health plan.

"Everything kind of screwed me over," Chun said. "We had to file for emergency coverage when the company closed."

Luckily, Chun was able to qualify for medical coverage through Quest, which has helped to cover the costs of his hemophilia medications and doctor visits.

Hirose has not been so lucky in her efforts to obtain medical coverage from the state, even though her unemployment compensation is her only source of income.

"One of the things that comes in as a barrier for entry into the Quest or Medicaid fee-for-service programs is assets," said Lillian Koller, director of the state Department of Human Services.

LIMIT MAY BE RAISED

Although the asset limits for both programs exclude one's home and first car, many former employees of Aloha Airlines and Molokai Ranch "most likely have accumulated assets that would have to be liquidated to qualify for the relatively low asset limit of $2,000" for a household of one, Koller said.

The DHS is awaiting approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to raise the asset limit to $5,000.

Meanwhile, Koller encourages those affected by the recent mass lay-offs to apply for state health coverage for their children.

Household assets are not a factor in determining whether a child is eligible for coverage, Koller said.

"Our programs for children are very generous and the limits for eligibility are very high," Koller said. Those who have recently been laid off "should immediately apply for coverage for their children. Do not even stop to think about it, just do it," she said.

There is some help available for those whose assets are too high to qualify for government insurance programs.

While Helping Hands Hawai'i's maximum award may not be able to cover expensive medical bills, it could help to cover utility bills, daily expenses and smaller healthcare costs, said Community Clearinghouse program manager Scott Morishige.

Sharolyn Pastor, a former Aloha Airlines flight attendant for 18 years, sought the assistance of Helping Hands to cover the cost of an operation to install a pacemaker in her body after she underwent open-heart surgery last October.

"My balance was $513. Helping Hands basically cleared that for me," Pastor said.

Pastor had two heart attacks after the birth of her twin sons in September 2006.

To keep her under the Aloha Airlines health plan, Pastor's co-workers donated enough vacation days to keep her on vacation leave from December 2006 to March 2008.

She was planning to return to work in May, but the company shut down operations on March 31. Her husband, who had a management position with Aloha, had left the company 2 1/2 years earlier because of uncertainties about its financial stability.

FROM $80 TO $700

Currently unemployed, Pastor — along with her 21-month-old sons — is now covered under her husband's health plan.

The family now pays a monthly premium of about $700, compared with the $80 out-of-pocket cost under Aloha's health plan.

"In hindsight, we realize we were very fortunate with Aloha Airlines and the excellent coverage we had," Pastor said. "My husband has a wonderful employer but the employees have to pay a pretty large amount out-of-pocket. Unfortunately, that is not unique to his company."

To help pay for their monthly healthcare premium, Pastor and her family have tightened their budget.

"We've had to prioritize our expenses. For our family, the medical expenses are right up there with our mortgage," she said.

Pastor takes four different prescription medications every day, including a heart medication that costs $55 a month.

One of her sons requires daily medications and regular visits to a neurosurgeon, neurologist and ophthalmologist, in addition to the kids' pediatrician.

"It really adds up. The cost of medical services is amazing," Pastor said.

The family is forgoing purchasing a van and dining out to help save money.

"My personal goal is to stay out of the hospital to keep our expenses down," she said.

HMSA DONATES $49,900 TO FUND

The HMSA Foundation announced Friday that it is giving $49,900 to the Neighbors in Need fund.

The donation is the largest single grant that the fund has received and puts the total amount raised at $139,882.

"We felt that Helping Hands Hawai'i is the perfect organization to help distribute funds to people who have lost their jobs recently," said Mark Forman, executive administrator of the HMSA Foundation.

The money will be used to help recently laid-off workers pay for housing costs, utility bills and other necessities.

"It is an extraordinarily generous gift and it couldn't have come at a better time," said Brian Schatz, president and chief executive officer of Helping Hands Hawai'i. "People have urgent needs in terms of their utility bills," and the grant will help many families meet those deadlines, Schatz said.

Forman hopes that the foundation's grant will encourage other organizations to take similar actions.

"It just seems to me that you can't open a newspaper without hearing about another set of displaced workers. Things are really getting dire out there," Forman said. "We just wanted to chip in."