STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1202

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 1452
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No.
1452 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to strengthen consumer rights
for patients in managed care plans and health maintenance
organizations.

     Your Committee finds that this measure implements the
recommendations of the Patient Rights and Responsibilities Task
Force (Task Force) to strengthen the Hawaii Patient bill of
Rights and Responsiblities Act.

     The twenty-member Task Force, representing various
organizations and agencies with diverse views and interests, was
established in 1998 to review various laws affecting patient
rights in this State.

     The Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the American
Association of Retired Persons, the Hawaii Coalition for Health,
the State Farm Insurance Companies, the Hawaii Medical
Association, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the
Hawaii Health Information Corporation, the Queen's Health
Management, Kaiser Permanente, and the Hawaii Federation of
Physicians and Dentists testified in support of this bill.  The
Access to Services Subcommittee testified in support of this bill
with amendments.  The Hawaii Insurers Council (HIC) testified in
opposition to this bill.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1202
                                 Page 2

 

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
measure by deleting the substance, and inserting therefor, the
substance of H.B. No. 1664, H.D. 3.  Your Committee notes that
H.B. 1664, H.D. 3, passed out of the House of Representatives
earlier this session after public hearings before this Committee,
the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, and the
Committee on Finance.

     Your Committee acknowledges HIC's concerns with the
amendments to the motor vehicle insurance statutes and
respectfully requests the next committee, the Committee on
Consumer Protection and Commerce, to address these concerns.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
1452, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1452, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair