HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	334
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

Requesting that the state of hawaii will adopt the 10 principles for Health care reform as proposed by the national federation of independent business.

     WHEREAS, our current system of health insurance and health care is financially unsustainable and threatens the health and financial security of the American people; and

     WHEREAS, small-business owners and their employees are especially vulnerable to the weaknesses of our current system; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the health care policy pursued by the state will adopt the 10 Small Business Principles for Health Care Reform as advocated by the National Federation of Independent Business; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Universal: all Hawaii residents should have access to quality care and protection against catastrophic costs. A government safety net should enable the neediest to obtain coverage; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Private: To the greatest extent possible, residents should receive their health insurance and health care through the private sector. Care must be taken to minimize the extent to which governmental safety nets crowd out private insurance and care; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Affordable: Health care costs to individuals, providers, governments and businesses must be reasonable, predictable and controllable; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Unbiased: Health care and tax laws should not push Hawaiians into employer-provided or government-provided insurance programs and hobble the market for individually purchased policies. Small employers should be treated the same as large employers, who can already pool across state lines. A health care system built on employer mandates or on play-or-pay taxes is unacceptable; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Competitive: Consumers should have many choices among insurers and providers. Policymakers must alleviate the limitations that state boundaries and treatment mandates place on competitiveness; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Portable: Americans should be able to move throughout the United States and change jobs without losing their health insurance; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Transparent: Information technology should enable all parties to access accurate, user-friendly information on costs, quality and outcomes. Providers must be able to obtain relatively complete medical histories of patients. At the same time, patients' privacy must be guarded zealously. The private sector must play a vital role in developing the new technologies; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Efficient: Health care policy should encourage an appropriate level of spending on health care. Laws, regulations and insurance arrangements should direct health care spending to those goods and services that will maximize health. Adequate risk pools throughout the health care system are vital to accomplishing these goals; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Evidence-based: The health care system must encourage consumers and providers to accumulate evidence and to use that evidence to improve health. Appropriate treatment choices and better wellness and preventive care should be key outcomes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's health care policy will be Realistic: Health care reform should proceed as rapidly as possible, but not so quickly that firms and individuals cannot adjust prudently. It is important to assure that no one's quality of care suffers as we move to provide coverage for all Americans; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii and the Director of the Department of Health.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

10 Small Business Principles for Health Care Reform; adopt