STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2259

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2126

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2126 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit health and dental insurers from setting fees for dental services that are not covered by the dental plan.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Hawaii Dental Association, and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Benefit Plan Solutions, Inc.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that insurers should not be able to dictate reimbursement levels to dentists unless the procedure in question is covered by the dental plan.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion about the impact of this measure; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes to ensure clarity and accuracy in the language of 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 S.B. No. 2126, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2126, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair