Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2672 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide medical insurance for individuals who fall within the "gap-group," whose incomes are too high to qualify for other federal and state programs yet not high enough to pay the rising costs of health insurance premiums, by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to subsidize health insurance coverage for uninsured residents of the state who earn less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center testified in support of this bill. DHS offered comments.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2672 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.