Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2879 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to protect Hawaii's consumers from excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory health insurance rates by making permanent the Insurance Commissioner's oversight of health insurance premium rates.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Association of Realtors, Summerlin Life & Health Insurance Company, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Permanente, and Hawaii Pacific Health opposed this measure.

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 H.B. No. 2879 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.