STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1493

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 95
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 95
entitled: 

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS
     TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE ADVISABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF
     CREATING A DATA BANK WITH PROVIDER INFORMATION FOR ACCESS BY
     HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to request a Patients'
Bill of Rights Task Force (Task Force) to study the advisability
and feasibility of creating a data bank with provider information
for access by health care consumers.

     The Task Force study shall include:

     (1)  Assessment of the demand for health care provider
          information;

     (2)  Current information about health care providers that
          are available from state agencies;

     (3)  Issues relating to protecting the privacy rights of
          health care providers;

     (4)  Designation of the appropriate state agency, or
          creation of a new agency, to disseminate information
          about health care providers;


 
 
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                                 Page 2

 
     (5)  Assessment of the costs of providing public information
          about health care provider; and

     (6)  Recommendations for legislative enactments or for
          administrative rule changes, or both.

     The Hawaii Medical Service Association testified in support
of the measure.   The Hawaii Nurses' Association testified in
support of the measure, expressing nurses' privacy concerns.  The
Hawaii Medical Association testified in opposition to the
measure.

     Your Committee has amended this resolution by deleting a
paragraph regarding a September 1995 report from the federal
General Accounting Office because it is misleading.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 95, as
amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce in the form
attached hereto as H.R. No. 95, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair