Protecting Hawaii's
Workforce.
AE & Associates brings actuarial rigor, in-house clinical expertise, and deep local market knowledge to every stop-loss policy and self-funded health plan we design — all from our team based right here in Hawaii.
2011
Established
Largest
Agency in Hawaii
10+
In-House Specialists
4
Core Service Divisions
Who We Serve
Built for Hawaii's Employer Community
HR Directors & Benefits Managers
Simplify your self-funded plan administration, reduce claims volatility, and keep your workforce's benefits competitive — without the complexity.
Talk to a Benefits SpecialistCFOs & Finance Leaders
Gain actuarially-sound stop-loss protection that caps catastrophic claim exposure, giving you the financial predictability your organization needs.
Explore Cost Control OptionsThird-Party Administrators & Brokers
Partner with a General Agency that adds real clinical, actuarial, and compliance depth to your book — supporting complex self-funded employer groups across Hawaii.
Become a PartnerOur Specialties
Four Disciplines. One Expert Team.
Stop-Loss & Specialty Risk
Individual specific and aggregate stop-loss coverage designed to protect your self-funded plan from catastrophic and high-dollar claims. Our underwriting team structures each policy with actuarial precision.
- Stop-loss portfolio underwriting
- Risk analysis and pricing development
- Reinsurance placement
- Program design and carrier strategy
Daniel Smith, President
Self-Funded Plan Design
Actuarially-sound benefit plan structures that control healthcare spend while meeting your workforce's needs. We analyze utilization data to design plans that are both competitive and sustainable.
- Actuarial pricing and risk management
- Healthcare and reinsurance analysis
Kevin Gabriel, FSA — Actuary
Clinical Services
An in-house team of registered nurses, licensed pharmacists, and certified medical coders who review utilization, audit claims accuracy, and surface cost-containment opportunities.
- Clinical review using data analytics and hospital alerts
- Pharmacy and R/X review
- Medical coding: ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS
- Medical claims processing, auditing, and cost-containment
Cindy Sardinha, RN · Wendy Iwasaki, PharmD · Cheryl Wilson, CPC
Compliance & Regulatory
HIPAA, ERISA, and ACA compliance as a built-in service — not an afterthought. Our Chief Compliance Officer provides ongoing oversight to keep self-funded plans fully compliant.
- HIPAA compliance oversight
- ERISA oversight
- Health and Welfare Plan financial statement analysis
Selma Oishi, CCO / HIPAA Privacy Officer
Why AE & Associates
The Specialists Behind Every Policy
We aren't a generalist agency. AE & Associates was built specifically for the complexity of self-funded employer health plans and specialty risk.
Hawaii-Based. Hawaii-Focused.
We know Hawaii's carriers, regulators, and workforce demographics. Our local presence means faster responses, state-specific expertise, and relationships built over decades in this market.
Clinical Expertise In-House
Few insurance agencies field a registered nurse, licensed pharmacist, and certified medical coder on their core team. Ours do — reviewing claims with clinical rigor, not just administrative process.
Compliance Built In
HIPAA, ERISA, and ACA compliance aren't bolt-ons — they're embedded in how we design and administer every plan. Our Chief Compliance Officer keeps every client protected from regulatory exposure.
Actuarial-Grade Analytics
A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) with a Wharton MBA leads our plan analysis. Every renewal, every design decision, every risk recommendation is backed by actuarial modeling — not guesswork.
Independent — No Carrier Conflicts
We work for our clients, not carriers. As an independent General Agency, we select stop-loss coverage and design plans that serve the employer's interests — not an insurer's quota.
Sister Company: Benefit Plan Solutions
Alongside our sister company, Benefit Plan Solutions, Inc., we provide comprehensive benefit consultant services for multi-self-insured employer plans — expanding our reach across Hawaii's employer community.
Our Team
The Experts You'll Work With
Unlike national carriers, every client at AE & Associates works directly with the specialists — actuary, nurse, pharmacist, compliance officer, and underwriter — who know their plan.
Daniel Smith
President
20+ years in specialty risk & underwriting governance
Kevin Gabriel
Actuary
FSA · Wharton MBA · Expert in healthcare pricing & reinsurance
Selma Oishi
Chief Compliance Officer
HIPAA Privacy Officer · ERISA & Health Plan compliance
Cindy Sardinha
Clinical Reviewer
RN · 25 years experience · Chief Clinical Officer background
Hessy Ahokovi
Founder, Sales & Marketing
Drives client relationships & specialty positioning in Hawaii
Ready to Protect Your
Hawaii Employer Group?
Schedule a no-obligation consultation with our team. We'll review your current plan, model out alternatives, and show you what a true specialty partner looks like.