STAND. COM. REP. NO.  555

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 926

      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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 926 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update title 24, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), relating to insurance by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the rerating of rates approved by the Insurance Commissioner is prohibited;

     (2)  Permitting the suspension, revocation, or denial of a mutual benefit society's certificate of authority under certain conditions;

     (3)  Making housekeeping amendments to chapter 431M, HRS, by:

          (A)  Amending its title to replace the reference to "drug abuse treatment" to "substance use disorder treatment";

          (B)  Referring to "partial hospitalization" instead of "partial hospitalization services" because the term "partial hospitalization services" no longer exists in chapter 431M, HRS; and

          (C)  Repealing the definition of "serious mental illness" since there are no references to this term in chapter 431M, HRS; and

     (4)  Amending the definition of "emergency services" to include severe pain to conform to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and an individual testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee amended this measure by narrowing the definition of "partial hospitalization" by inserting the word "licensed" in front of the term "marriage and family therapist" to mean marriage and family therapist, which are licensed in the State.  In addition, technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 926, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 926, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair