Extends the age requirement of dependents for insurance coverage to 25 years of age, and for dependents in graduate or professional school to 30 years of age.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that a growing problem exists regarding young adults and insurance coverage for healthcare. Young adults are the fastest growing population that are uninsured. In 2003, thirty percent of Americans in the eighteen to twenty-four year age group were uninsured. Most of the uninsured young adults are college students and are not employed more than part time in order to be eligible for insurance through their employer. Additionally, the family coverage that insurance plans offer discontinue coverage at age nineteen.

The purpose of this Act is to extend the age, for insurance coverage for healthcare, of dependents to 25 years and to 30 years of age for dependents enrolled in graduate or professional degree granting institutions.

SECTION 2. Section 431:10A-103, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§431:10A-103 Family coverage defined. As used in this part, family coverage means a policy that insures, originally or upon subsequent amendment, an adult member of a family who shall be deemed the policyholder and any two or more eligible members of that family, including spouse, dependent children or any children under a specified age which shall not exceed [nineteen] twenty-five years, any dependent children attending graduate or professional degree granting institutions on a part-time or fulltime basis under a specified age which shall not exceed thirty years, and any other person dependent upon the policyholder."

SECTION 3. Section 432:1-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§432:1-101 Scope; exemptions. The provisions of this article shall apply to mutual benefit societies as defined herein. Except as expressly provided in this article, mutual benefit societies shall be exempt from the provisions of the insurance code. Coverage for families shall be as provided in section 431:10A-103. No law enacted after July 1, 1988, shall apply to mutual benefit societies unless such societies are expressly designated therein."

SECTION 4. Section 432D:23, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§432D-23 Required provisions and benefits. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, each policy, contract, plan, or agreement issued in the State after January 1, 1995, by health maintenance organizations pursuant to this chapter, shall include benefits provided in sections 431:10A-103, 431:10-212, 431:10A-115, 431:10A-115.5, 431:10A-116, 431:10A-116.5, 431:10A-116.6, 431:10A-119, 431:10A-120, and 431:10A-121, and chapter 431M."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on October 1, 2006.