STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2454

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2529

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2529, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTHCARE CLAIMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a Hawaii health care claims uniform reporting and evaluation system.

     This measure also establishes a Hawaii health care claims special fund into which payment of claim fees, penalties, and other proceeds will be deposited.  Additionally, the measure establishes a temporary health care claims uniform reporting and evaluating task force to review policies and procedures of the system and make recommendations to improve it.

     Your Committee received comments supporting this measure from the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, the Hawaii Medical Association, the Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, and the Hawaii Medical Service Association.  Written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide transparency to improve health care claims reporting and contribute to improvement in the quality and cost-efficiency of health care in the State.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2529, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2529, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair