Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2698 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve the efficiency of the workers' compensation system by requiring the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish standardized forms for health care providers to use when reporting on and billing for injuries compensable under the State Workers' Compensation Law.

The ILWU Local 142, Hawaii State Chiropractic Association, and Hawaii Employers' Mutual Insurance Company, Inc., testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Resources Development supported the intent of this measure. The Hawaii Insurers Council supported the bill with amendments. The Hawaii Chapter – American Physical Therapy Association opposed this measure. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations offered comments.

Your Committee notes that employers, employees, insurers, and health care providers have raised concerns regarding the timeliness of the delivery of health care services in workers' compensation cases. This has continued to be a problem with Hawaii's workers' compensation system that results in a delay in workers receiving appropriate medical care. Standardizing forms for health care providers to use when reporting on and billing for injuries compensable under the State Workers Compensation Law will help alleviate some of these problems.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2698 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.