THE SENATE
                 THE TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE
                  REGULAR SESSION OF 1999

       SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
            Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Chair
              Senator Randy Iwase, Vice Chair

   SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
               Senator Brian Kanno, Co-Chair
             Senator Brian Taniguchi, Co-Chair
                             
                  NOTICE OF JOINT HEARING

        DATE:    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1999

        TIME:    9:00 A.M.

        PLACE:   Conference Room 016
                 State Capitol
                 415 South Beretania Street

                        A G E N D A

SB 1160  RELATING TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.      CPN/HHS,JDC
        Clarifies   and   updates   provisions   relating   to
        controlled substances.

SB 817   RELATING TO INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT      HHS/CPN,JDC
        ACCOUNTS.
        Establishes  an  Individual   Development  Account  to
        promote   entrepreneurship,   education,   and   self-
        sufficiency  for  welfare  recipients  and  low-income
        individuals.

SB 101   RELATING TO HEALTH MAINTENANCE          HHS/CPN,WAM
        ORGANIZATIONS.
        Creates  office  of  the   HMO  ombudsman  to  receive
        complaints and act as  advocate  for HMO consumers and
        participants  of  the   Hawaii  Health  QUEST  program
        regarding quality of  care,  cost, payment, access, or
        delivery of health services  provided  by HMOs and the
        QUEST program.

SB 787   RELATING TO PATIENTS RIGHTS AND         HHS/CPN,WAM
        RESPONSIBILITIES ACT.  
        Expands rights  of  enrollees  in  managed  care plans
        including:   emergency  care  by  any provider without
        prior   authorization;    access   to   out-of-network
        providers;   choice    of    specialist   as   primary
        careprovider;  standing  referrals;  direct  access to
        OB/GYN specialists;  continuity  of care; nonformulary
        medications incentives; prohibition of gag clauses and
        restrictive financial  incentives;  creation of health
        care  rights   ombudsman;   prohibition  of  financial
        incentives; creation of  health care rights ombudsman;
        prohibition of  ban  on  clinical trial participation;
        and right to sue for denial of care.

SB 998   RELATING TO PATIENTS BILL OF RIGHTS AND  HHS/CPN,WAM
 
                  RESPONSIBILITIES ACT.
                  Makes HMOs,  managed  care  entities, health insurers,
                  and  mutual  benefit  societies  liable  for  harm  to
                  insured or  enrollee  caused  by  failure  to exercise
                  ordinary care when  making health treatment decisions.
                  Requires claimant to give notice of claim and agree to
                  review by an independent review organization.

 
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SB 870   RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.              HHS/CPN,WAM
        Establishes mental  health  patient's  bill of rights;
        creates independent  office  of  ombudsman  for mental
        health  services;  requires  ombudsman  to  assist and
        advocate for  mental  health  services  for consumers;
        allows the  ombudsman  to  accept  federal and private
        funds and grants.

SB 1235  RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.        HHS/CPN,WAM
        Creates temporary governor's task force on alternative
        medicine to  examine  current  scientific  research to
        determine the benefits  and  harmful  effects, if any,
        and the efficacy or  ineffectiveness,  as the case may
        be, of  the  various  forms  of  alternative medicine.
        Findings  and  recommendations  to  the  governor  and
        legislature by 11/30/99.

        DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW, IF TIME PERMITS.


The following bill is scheduled for DECISION MAKING only:

SB 131   RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE              HHS/CPN,WAM

        Requires long-term  care  insurance  policies  to meet
        specified standards; requires  employers  to offer LTC
        policies to  employees;  makes  appropriation  for LTC
        actuarial  study;  makes  appropriation  to  insurance
        division to hire LTC  actuary; extends sunset date and
        makes appropriation for JLC.

   NO TESTIMONY WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THE PREVIOUS BILL.


Persons wishing  to  testify  should  submit  45  copies of their
testimony with two  holes  punched  at  the  top to the committee
clerk, Room 228, State  Capitol,  24  hours prior to the hearing.
Testimony may also be faxed  if  less  than 5 pages in length, to
the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Office  at 586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659
(toll free for neighbor islands), at  least 24 hours prior to the
hearing.  When faxing, please  indicate  to whom the testimony is
being submitted,  the  date  and  time  of  the  hearing, and the
required number of copies needed for submittal.

If you require special  assistance  or auxiliary aids or services
to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign language
interpreter, wheelchair accessibility,  or parking designated for
the disabled), please contact the  committee clerk 24 hours prior
to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

Public Folder.  A  folder  labeled "Public Folder" containing the
measures and testimonies for  the  hearing  will be available for
shared use by members of the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 
586-6130.



 
       ____________________________ 
       Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland
       Chair
       
       
       
       ____________________________      _______________________________
       Senator Brian Kanno               Senator Brian Taniguchi
       Co-Chair                          Co-Chair
       

 
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