STAND. COM. REP. NO. 73-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2415

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2415 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to assist the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) in securing qualified medical experts to serve on external review panels by:

(1) Authorizing DCCA to provide a flat fee of $400 to physicians as compensation for serving on external review panels; and

(2) Exempting payment of the $400 fee and the selection of review panel members from the state Procurement Code.

DCCA, Kaiser Permanente, and a concerned citizen supported this measure.

Your Committee finds that external review panels (panels) were established to review health plan coverage disputes. Physicians currently serving on panels are uncompensated volunteers. This lack of compensation has contributed to the reluctance of many physicians to leave their medical practices to participate on these panels.

Your Committee believes that compensation of these physicians as well as exemption of their selection from the Procurement Code will help assure participation by specialist physicians on these panels and contribute to review hearings occurring on a more timely basis.

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. 2415 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

 

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair