STAND. COM. REP. NO.  543

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 248

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 248, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require all health insurers, including health benefit plans, in the State to disclose on their public websites all standards, criteria, and information that they use when making preauthorization decisions related to medical treatment or services.

The Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Medical Association testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Association of Health Plans testified in opposition to this measure.  The Hawaii Medical Service Association provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and replacing it with language that specifies various requirements, including procedural, disclosure, and notice requirements, for prospective review required by health carriers or utilization review organizations prior to certification of coverage for health care services.

     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. 248, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 248, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair