Kaiser Permanente has won approval from state Insurance Commissioner J.P. Schmidt for new health insurance plans that are designed for self-employed individuals.

Kaiser said it has begun offering the four plans to sole proprietors with rates based on age and gender. It is now contacting people who've been inquiring about the program over the past two months.

A new state law went into effect on Sept. 1 aimed at providing more health insurance options for the estimated 12,000 sole proprietor businesses statewide. The initiative requires group health insurers to offer small group plans to self-employed individuals.

Schmidt said the business owners will most likely get a better rate than if they bought individual plan insurance. The Hawaii Medical Service Association also has filed rates for such a plan, but Schmidt's office has yet to approve them.

HMSA, like Kaiser, has been taking names of people who are inquiring about the programs offered as a result of the new law, which requires people be issued policies without clauses on pre-existing conditions.

"That makes it easier for the sole proprietors to get insurance," Schmidt said.

The new law also may help reduce the number of people in the state without health insurance.