STAND. COM. REP. NO. 53

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 152

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 152 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand the medical benefits coverage offered by the Public Employees Health Fund (Health Fund) to qualified children of Health Fund members who are older than nineteen years old.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Hawaii State Teachers Association. The Health Fund submitted comments on the measure.

Specifically, the measure extends medical benefits coverage to the unmarried children of Health Fund members who are under the age of twenty-four and who are enrolled as full-time students in an educational institution. The measure also extends coverage to unmarried children of Health Fund members, regardless of age, who are incapable of self-support due to a mental or physical incapacity that existed prior to the child reaching the age of nineteen.

Your Committees believe that the medical benefits coverage should be provided to Health Fund members' college-age children if they are engaged in scholarly pursuits. Moreover, providing coverage to incapacitated dependents of Health Fund members will assist such members in coping economically with what can only be a financially stressful situation.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 152 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair

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BOB NAKATA, Chair

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RON MENOR, Chair