STAND. COM. REP. NO.  229

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 726

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 726 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HEALTH CONNECTOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require, as a condition of licensure, health insurers with at least a 20 percent share of the health insurance market to offer their qualified plans and qualified dental plans for sale to qualified individuals and qualified employers.

Hawaii Primary Care Association testified in support of this measure and recommended amendments.  Hawaii Medical Service Association testified in opposition.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Health Connector, and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Requiring health insurers offering qualified health plans to offer federally-qualified health centers the opportunity to contract for services covered by the qualified plan;

(2)  Requiring health insurers with a greater than 20 percent share of the State's small group health insurance market to offer at least one silver and at least one gold qualified health plan as a condition of participation in the individual market of the Connector; and

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate continued 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. 726, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 726, 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