STAND. COM. REP. NO. 973-04
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2004
RE: S.B. No. 2890
S.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2004
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2890, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to assist the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) in securing qualified medical experts to serve on external review panels by:
(1) Authorizing the payment of $200 to physicians as compensation for serving on external review panels; and
(2) Exempting payment and the selection of external review panel members from the state Procurement Code.
DCCA and Kaiser Permanente supported this bill.
Your Committee finds that external review panels were established to review health plan coverage disputes. Physicians currently serving on these panels are currently uncompensated. This lack of compensation contributes to the reluctance of some physicians to participate on these panels.
Your Committee believes that compensation of these physicians as well as exemption of their selection from the Procurement Code will improve the rate of participation by specialist physicians and contribute to more timely review hearings.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2890, S.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce,
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____________________________ KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair |
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