CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 130

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2017

RE:    H.B. No. 552

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 552, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, 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 protect Hawaii, its residents, and its health care system from the adverse effects of the impending potential repeal by Congress of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by codifying the following key portions of that Act in state law, to become effective upon repeal of the federal law pursuant to an act of Congress:

     (1)  The individual mandate, which requires each state resident to maintain minimum essential health insurance coverage or face a tax penalty for noncompliance and provides for premium cost assistance for qualifying individuals;

     (2)  Expanded eligibility criteria and minimum essential benefits requirements for Medicaid coverage;

     (3)  Requirements for essential health care benefits applicable to all health insurance policies issued in the State;

     (4)  Extension of eligibility for dependent coverage under a parent's health insurance through age twenty-six; and

     (5)  Prohibitions on denial of health insurance coverage due to preexisting conditions and on gender-based discrimination in health insurance costs.

     This measure also establishes an Affordable Health Insurance Working Group to address the complexities of the State's health care system and the related uncertainty over the future of the Affordable Care Act. 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that would have codified key provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act in state law;

     (2)  Clarifying the issues for which the Working Group is tasked with considering and making policy recommendations;

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2017; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 552, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 552, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, 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
____________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO Co-Chair	____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI Co-Chair
	____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE Co-Chair