STAND. COM. REP. NO.  149

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 848

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 848 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update the Insurance Code by:

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

     (2)  Applying the statutory requirements for the licensing of insurance producers to health maintenance organizations and mutual benefit societies, so that those entities can participate in the Hawaii Health Connector established pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association and Hawaii Medical Service Association testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion.

     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. 848, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 848, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair