STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2014

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2092

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2092 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STANDARDIZED INSURANCE FORMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Insurance Commissioner to develop standardized medical claim forms. It further requires health insurers to use the newly developed claim forms.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Testimony in opposition was submitted by Hawaii Medical Service Association. Comments on this measure was submitted by Royal State National Insurance Co., Ltd.

Your Committee finds that it is difficult for health care providers to continuously train employees on how to properly complete a myriad of forms to obtain payment for services rendered. If standard forms were required by all insurers, completing these forms would be less confusing, and there would be less paperwork and delays in payment, resulting in lower administrative cost. Your Committee, however, is concerned that this effort may be duplicative or superseded by requirements for standardized formats under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Accordingly, your Committee requests the Insurance Commissioner to address this concern when the measure is heard in the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting a repeal date of June 30, 2004.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2092, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2092, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair