STAND. COM. REP. NO. 482-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2134
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Consumer
Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2134
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL FEE SCHEDULES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to change the current medical
fee schedule for workers' compensation from 110 per cent of the
Medicare system to an amount calculated according to the annual
federal workers' compensation medical fee schedule for Hawaii.

     The Anesthesia Medical Group, Hawaii Association of
Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, Hawaii Medical Association
and several individuals supported this bill.  The Hawaii Chapter
of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Hawaii State
Chiropractic Association supports the intent of this bill.  The
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Human
Resources of the City and County of Honolulu, First Insurance
Company, Argonaut Insurance Company, Hawaii Insurers Council, and
one individual expressed concerns regarding this bill.  The
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and one individual
commented on this bill.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting all references to the federal workers'
          compensation medical fee schedule for Hawaii;


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 482-00
                                 Page 2

 
     (2)  Changing the upper limit of the fees to "one hundred
          _____ per cent" of the fees prescribed by Medicare; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes
          of style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Consumer Protection
and Commerce that are attached to this report, your Committees
are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2134, as
amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the
form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2134, H.D. 1, and be referred to
the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Labor and Public
                                   Employment and Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
RON MENOR, Chair                   TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair