REPORT TITLE:
Health Benefits


DESCRIPTION:
Offers medical benefits to part-time, temporary, and seasonal or
casual employees at no cost to the employer.  (SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1290
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH BENEFITS FOR PART-TIME, TEMPORARY, AND
   SEASONAL OR CASUAL EMPLOYEES.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Chapter 87, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 2 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
 3 read as follows:
 
 4      "�87-    Health benefits for part-time, temporary, and
 
 5 seasonal or casual employees.  (a)  After July 1, 2000, the board
 
 6 of trustees shall offer medical, hospital, and surgical benefits
 
 7 plans to part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees
 
 8 at no cost to the employers.  A part-time, temporary, and
 
 9 seasonal or casual employee means a person employed for less than
 
10 three months or whose employment is less than one-half of a full-
 
11 time equivalent position.  The board of trustees may determine
 
12 eligibility for part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual
 
13 employees by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91.
 
14      (b)  The board of trustees shall determine the medical,
 
15 hospital, and surgical benefits plan, which shall be excepted
 
16 from the minimum group requirements of article 10A of chapter
 
17 431.  The medical, hospital, and surgical benefits plan shall
 
18 provide, pay for, arrange for, or reimburse the cost of
 
19 hospitalization, surgery, medical, and may include prescribed
 

 
Page 2                                                     1290
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 hospital in-patient and out-patient service benefits, and medical
 
 2 benefits.
 
 3      (c)  The board may contract for the following health benefit
 
 4 plans; provided that benefits provided under any respective plan
 
 5 shall be equally available to all part-time, temporary, and
 
 6 seasonal or casual employees regardless of age, as provided for
 
 7 below:
 
 8      (1)  An indemnity benefit plan or plans under which a
 
 9           carrier agrees to pay certain sums of money not in
 
10           excess of the actual expenses incurred for health
 
11           services;
 
12      (2)  A service benefit plan or plans under which payment is
 
13           made by a carrier under contracts with physicians,
 
14           hospitals, or other providers of health services, or,
 
15           under certain conditions, payment is made by a carrier
 
16           to a part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual
 
17           employee;
 
18      (3)  Health maintenance organization plans, which provide or
 
19           arrange health services for members on a prepaid basis,
 
20           with professional services provided by physicians
 
21           practicing individually or as a group in a common
 
22           center or centers; and
 
23      (4)  A noninsured schedule of benefits similar to any of the
 

 
Page 3                                                     1290
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           schedule of benefits set forth in the health benefits
 
 2           plans authorized in paragraphs (1) to (3).
 
 3      (d)  Each part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual
 
 4 employee enrolled for health benefits shall pay monthly
 
 5 contributions directly to the board's designated carrier.  The
 
 6 monthly contributions may include the carrier's administrative
 
 7 cost."
 
 8      SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
 9      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.