Report Title:

Combining Two State Health Insurance Programs

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

165

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

Requesting the Hawaii Public Employees' Health Fund, the Department of Human Services, and the Insurance Commissioner TO DETERMINE the feasibility of combining the two state health insurance programs for the purpose of lowering health care costs or providing greater benefits for individuals in these programs.

 

 

WHEREAS, health care costs are rising, forcing health insurance premium rate increases; and

WHEREAS, this State has only a handful of health insurers, resulting in very little price competition among the health plans; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Public Employees' Health Fund can be considered the State's largest employer group for purposes of health insurance with thousands of members and retirees; and

WHEREAS, the Medicaid (including QUEST and the State Children's Health Insurance Program) Program also has many members; and

WHEREAS, the combined membership of these two state programs would not only increase the purchasing pool size, but provide an advantage for the State when negotiating rates and benefits; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature must seek ways to lower the costs of health care for the State; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii Public Employees' Health Fund, the Department of Human Services, and the Insurance Commissioner are requested to meet and determine the feasibility of combining the two state health insurance programs for the purpose of lowering health care costs or providing greater benefits for individuals in these programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the three state agencies may request assistance from other state agencies for data, information, and research; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that nothing in this Concurrent Resolution is intended to prohibit or inhibit the proposing of a twenty-four-hour –- seven-day health care under a single state program, where workers' compensation and motor vehicle insurance portions related to medical care are also included in this plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the three named agencies are requested to submit a report of findings and recommendations to the Legislature twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Administrator of the Hawaii Public Employees' Health Fund, the Director of Human Services, the Administrator of Med-QUEST, and the Insurance Commissioner.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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