STAND. COM. REP. NO. 702-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 687

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 687, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require insurance coverage for qualifying patients for the costs of transportation to the continental United States for life-saving medical care that is not available in the State.

Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children, Kapi‘olani Medical Specialists, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, The Queen's Health Systems, and many concerned individuals supported this measure. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Department of the Attorney General provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the criteria of the definition of a "qualifying patient";

(2) Specifying that the transportation to the continental United States shall be medically necessary;

(3) Requiring the Auditor to conduct a study to assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers, hospital and medical services plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the costs of medically necessary transportation to the continental United States for medical treatment for qualifying patients; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes the definition of "qualifying patient" in this measure does not include patients on medically necessary support machines such as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) or Mechanical Circulatory Support, including percutaneous ventricular assist devices and intraaortic balloon pump therapies because according to the testimony received from Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, a vast majority of pediatric patients would not be entitled to coverage in this measure.

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. 687, 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. 687, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair