STAND. COM. REP. NO.  214

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1479

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1479 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to achieve parity for part-time workers and sole proprietors without employees who seek group health insurance by providing part-time workers, self-employed workers, and sole proprietors without employees who are not incorporated, with access to insurance policies with benefits comparable to full-time workers.  This bill also prohibits group health insurers from imposing certain eligibility requirements. 

 

     The Hawaii Association of REALTORS testified in support of this bill.  The State Insurance Commissioner and the Hawaii Medical Service Association provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1479, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1479, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair