Contraception & Family Planning in Hilo & Across Hawaiʻi — Medicaid (QUEST) Accepted

Contraception, or birth control, includes the many safe and effective methods for preventing pregnancy, and family planning is the broader work of deciding whether and when to have children. There is no single best method, only the best method for you. At Ohana Care Clinic in Hilo, we help you understand your options and choose with confidence.

Understanding your options

Birth control has come a long way, and the range of options can feel overwhelming. They include long-acting reversible methods like IUDs and implants, hormonal methods like the pill, patch, ring, and injection, barrier methods, emergency contraception, and permanent options. Each has its own balance of effectiveness, convenience, side effects, and non-contraceptive benefits, such as lighter or more predictable periods.

How we help you choose

The best method depends on your health, your preferences, and your plans. We use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, updated in 2024, to match methods safely to your medical history, and then we talk through what fits your life. Whether you want highly effective long-term protection, something you control day to day, or help planning a pregnancy, we will find the right fit and revisit it as your needs change. Many of these conversations work well by telehealth.

Family planning and whole-person care

Family planning is about more than preventing pregnancy. It includes preparing your body and health for a future pregnancy if that is your goal, and addressing the stress, relationship, and mental health pieces that are part of these decisions. Because we integrate primary care and behavioral health, we can support the whole picture with you.

Culturally grounded care

We care for the whole person, in the spirit of lōkahi — balance and harmony among the connected parts of life: the body, the mind and emotions, the spirit, the ʻohana (family), and our relationship with the ʻāina (land) and community. In a Native Hawaiian understanding of health, these are not separate, and neither is our care. To mālama (care for and protect) your wellbeing and to live pono (in balance and rightness), we listen to your whole story, welcome your ʻohana into the process, and honor the values and traditions that ground you. Offering kōkua (help given freely, with aloha) in a way that respects who you are is at the heart of how we practice.

Insurance and how we see you

We accept Medicare and Medicaid, including the Hawaiʻi QUEST Integration plans (AlohaCare, the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA), ʻOhana Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan), along with most commercial insurance, and we are accepting new patients in Hilo. Primary care works best as a partnership. Your first visit is in person at our Hilo clinic. We see patients in person for physical exams, vitals, and lab work, and we use telehealth for follow-up visits, medication management, and chronic-disease check-ins whenever it is clinically appropriate.

Common questions about contraception and family planning

What is the most effective form of birth control?

Long-acting reversible methods like IUDs and implants are the most effective at preventing pregnancy, but the best method is the one that fits your health, preferences, and life. We help you weigh effectiveness, side effects, and convenience.

How do you decide which birth control is safe for me?

We use the CDC’s U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (2024) to match methods safely to your medical history, then choose together based on your goals and preferences.

Can I get contraception care by telehealth?

Many contraception and family-planning visits work well by telehealth, including counseling, starting or changing methods, and follow-up, with in-person visits for procedures like IUD or implant placement.

What insurance do you accept?

We accept Medicare and Medicaid, including the Hawaii QUEST Integration plans (AlohaCare, HMSA, Ohana Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan), along with most commercial insurance. We are accepting new patients in Hilo.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). U.S. medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 2024. MMWR Recommendations and Reports, 73(4). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/rr/rr7304a1.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Contraceptive guidance for health care providers. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.cdc.gov/contraception/hcp/contraceptive-guidance/index.html

Papa Ola Lōkahi. (n.d.). Native Hawaiian health. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.papaolalokahi.org/

This page is general health education from Ohana Care Clinic, written by George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP. It is not a substitute for a personal evaluation by a qualified clinician who knows your situation, and reading it does not create a provider–patient relationship. If you think you may have a medical condition, reach out to us or another licensed provider. In an emergency, call 911.

George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP — President & Owner