STAND. COM. REP. NO.  49

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 877

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 877 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DESIGNEES FOR THE DIRECTORS OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, OF HEALTH, OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HAWAII HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to improve the effectiveness of the Hawaii Health Connector Board of Directors (Board) by authorizing the executive department directors who are ex-officio voting members of the Board to select designees to serve on behalf of the directors at specified board meetings.  

 

     The Office of the Governor, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Department of Labor and Industrial Relations testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Primary Care Association supported the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Health Connector provided comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that Act 205, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, established the Hawaii Health Connector as an independent nonprofit entity to fulfill the State's obligation to provide a health insurance exchange under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  The Hawaii Health Connector is governed by a fifteen-member Board of Directors that includes the directors of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Industrial Relations as ex-officio voting members.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the four executive department directors who serve on the Board provide valuable information, perspective, and guidance that inform the Board's decisions on facilitating the purchase and sale of federally qualified health insurance and dental plans.  However, the directors' schedules and obligations may make it difficult for them to attend every board meeting.  This measure will help ensure the state administration's continued input at board meetings by authorizing the pertinent department directors to select a designee to serve on behalf of the director at specified board meetings.  Your Committee finds that this measure will facilitate the Board's efforts to meet the deadlines imposed by the federal act.

 

     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. 877 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair