CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 25

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    H.B. No. 848

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 848, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure Hawaii's insurance laws are in compliance with federal health insurance laws by:

(1)  Establishing a uniform network adequacy standard for all health insurers doing business in Hawaii;

(2)  Amending the definition of "small business" for consistency with the federal Public Health Service Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and

(3)  Applying licensing requirements for insurance producers to health maintenance organizations and mutual benefit societies.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting provisions that applied licensing requirements for insurance producers to health maintenance organizations and mutual benefit societies;

(2)  Deleting the requirement that an unaccredited managed care plan be a new entrant to the State in order to demonstrate network adequacy through submitting to the Insurance Commissioner a plan to become accredited by a national accreditation organization;

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2013; and

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 848, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 848, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair
	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair