THE SENATE

THE TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2005

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, CONSUMER PROTECTION, AND HOUSING

Senator Ron Menor, Chair

Senator Rosalyn H. Baker, Vice Chair

COMMITTEE ON HEALTH

Senator Rosalyn H. Baker, Chair

Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF HEARING

DATE:

Thursday, February 10, 2005

TIME:

9:30 a.m.

PLACE:

Conference Room 016

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

A G E N D A

CPH/HTH

SB 752

RELATING TO DENTAL INSURANCE.

Allows the Insurance Division to continue protecting consumers from insolvent dental insurers, and handle complaints against dental insurers

CPH/HTH, WAM

SB 760

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Reduces the maximum reserves that a managed care plan may hold from 50% of annual expenses to 30% of annual expenses. Allows the commissioner to waive the requirement of a refund if subscribers of a managed care plan would be jeopardized by it, if the managed care plan would need the reserve to increase its enrollment or make capital investments, or if the excess to be refunded is the result of temporary fluctuations in investments.

CPH/HTH, WAM

SB 940

RELATING TO THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT.

Amends the review procedure process under the patients' bill of rights and responsibilities act. Preserves commissioner's discretion to convene panel to hear cases for consumers in non-ERISA plans. Requires the commissioner to determine whether requests for external review concerns an ERISA plan and to direct all requests for review of ERISA plan benefits to an independent review organization selected by the commissioner.

CPH/HTH, JHW

HTH/CPH

SB 870

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Amends external review procedure in the patients' bill of rights and responsibilities act.

HTH/CPH, JHW/WAM

CPH ONLY

SB 801

RELATING TO LOW-INTEREST LOANS TO DISASTER VICTIMS.

Repeals the Kalapana Disaster Relief Program.

CPH, WAM

SB 94

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE.

Appropriates general funds for a private contractor to develop and operate a motor vehicle insurance database that is interactive with the statewide motor vehicle registration computer file and operational by 1/1/07.

CPH, WAM

SB 751

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Conforms insurance statutes to federal law and national standards.

CPH, WAM

SB 758

RELATING TO SENTENCING OF REPEAT OFFENDERS.

This measure will toughen the penalties imposed upon those individuals who repeatedly commit felony crimes by specifying that anyone committing felony insurance fraud in motor vehicle insurance, private health insurance, health maintenance organization health insurance, and worker's compensation insurance lines will be subject to repeat offender increased sentencing guidelines for having previously committed the crime of felony insurance fraud.

CPH, JHW2

     

 

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

Persons wishing to testify should submit 35 copies of their testimony to the committee clerk, Room 219, 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 586-6740

 

 

________________________________________

Senator Rosalyn H. Baker

Chair

________________________________________

Senator Ron Menor

Chair