THE SENATE

THE TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2007

COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND LABOR

Senator Clayton Hee, Chair

Senator Russell S. Kokubun, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

DATE:	Tuesday, February 27, 2007
TIME:	9:00 a.m.
PLACE:	Conference Room 229 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street

A G E N D A

The purpose of the informational briefing is to receive updates of various issues and challenges related to the Hawaii Employee-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) from:

1. Mark Recktenwald, Chairperson, EUTF;

2. Jim Williams, Administrator, EUTF;

3. John Garner, consultant, EUTF; and

4. Paul Tom, Chairperson, Prepaid Health Care Advisory Council.

Following a brief presentation on the background and history of the EUTF, the invited speakers are requested to address the following EUTF related topics:

1. Savings and benefits that the EUTF has realized for its members and the State since its inception;

2. The role competition has historically played in the EUTF’s ability to bring enhanced services and access to its members and to achieve the promised cost savings;

3. What the EUTF is doing to promote and ensure true competition is possible in the future to include a level playing field for the selected vendors;

4. How VEBA has impacted the EUTF, the EUTF’s position on the legislative bills to extend VEBA,  and what happens to the EUTF if other collective bargaining units decide to move on to VEBA;

5. The details related to the decision regarding SHOPO and the possibility that it may create other problems and challenges for the EUTF;

6. The EUTF move from fully-insured programs to self-funded programs and what made it possible;

7. Information on the recent RFP process including the fully insured medical program, the self funded medical program, the pharmacy program, and dental program. Please include:

a.         Information on the RFP review and selection process;

b.         Rating schemes related to

            i.      Available/contracted provider network

            ii.     Provider/network pricing

            iii.    Administrative capabilities of the vendors

            iv.    Technology differences

c.         The number of bidders by category

d.         Primary reasons for the selection of the winning bidders

e.         Describe the audit/verification process that was utilized during the                                  review process to ensure the appropriateness of the RFP responses.

8. Other Issues

This is not a public hearing, no testimony will be accepted.

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign language interpreter or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the committee clerk 24 hours prior to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6911.

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Senator Clayton Hee

Chair