Report Title:

Group Health Insurers; Coverage for Part-time Employees.

 

Description:

Requires insurers that offer health care coverage to the regular employees of any group or association to offer the same coverage to part-time employees working at least 15 hours per week.  Requires the Insurance Commissioner to report to the Legislature on Act's cost-benefit.  Effective January 1, 2050.  (HB2224 HD1)

 

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2224

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Chapter 431, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to article 10A to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§431:10A-     Group health care coverage; part-time employees.  An insurer that provides health care coverage to the regular employees of any group or association shall offer the same coverage to part-time employees of that group or association; provided that the group or association shall not be required by this section to pay any part of the premium for that coverage.

For the purposes of this section:

"Group or association" shall not include any state or political subdivision of any state, or instrumentality thereof.

"Health care" includes hospitalization, surgery, medical or nursing care, drugs, or other restorative appliances.

"Part-time employee" means a person employed in the employment of a single employer for at least fifteen, but less
than twenty hours per week.

"Regular employee" means a person employed in the employment of a single employer for at least twenty hours per week."

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 432, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to article 1 to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§432:1-     Group health care coverage; part-time employees.  A mutual benefit society whose hospital and medical service corporation contract provides health care coverage for the regular employees of any group or association shall offer the same coverage to part-time employees of that group or association; provided that the group or association shall not be required by this section to pay any part of the premium for that coverage.

For the purposes of this section:

"Group or association" shall not include any state or political subdivision of any state, or instrumentality thereof.

"Health care" includes hospitalization, surgery, medical or nursing care, drugs, or other restorative appliances.

"Part-time employee" means a person employed in the employment of a single employer for at least fifteen, but less than twenty hours per week.

"Regular employee" means a person employed in the employment of a single employer for at least twenty hours per week."

     SECTION 3.  Chapter 432D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§432D-     Group health care coverage; part-time employees.  A health maintenance organization that issues a policy, contract, plan, or agreement in the state that provides health care coverage for the regular employees of any group or association shall offer the same coverage to part-time employees of that group or association; provided that the group or association shall not be required by this section to pay any part of the premium for that coverage.

For the purposes of this section:

"Group or association" shall not include any state or political subdivision of any state, or instrumentality thereof.

"Health care" includes hospitalization, surgery, medical or nursing care, drugs, or other restorative appliances.

"Part-time employee" means a person employed in the employment of a single employer for at least fifteen, but less than twenty hours per week.

"Regular employee" means a person employed in the employment of a single employer for at least twenty hours per week."

SECTION 4.  The insurance commissioner shall prepare a report of the costs and benefits of sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act.  The report shall be prepared with the cooperation and assistance of the disability compensation division of the department of labor and industrial relations.  The report shall include:

(1)  An evaluation of the success of this Act in providing part-time employees with access to health care coverage;

(2)  An evaluation of the costs to employees, employers, and insurers, of providing that coverage;

(3)  Any recommendations concerning this Act; and

(4)  Any other information necessary for a reasonable assessment of the costs and benefits of this Act to be made, and to allow health care coverage to be made available to part-time employees at the lowest possible cost.

Each insurer subject to this Act shall submit, at the time and in the form prescribed by the insurance commissioner, the information deemed necessary by the insurance commissioner to complete the report required by this section.  In obtaining such information, the insurance commissioner shall seek to minimize an insurer's cost of compliance.

The insurance commissioner shall report findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the legislature not later than twenty days before the convening of the regular session of 2010.

     SECTION 5.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2050; provided that:

     (1)  Section 4 shall take effect on January 1, 2050; and

     (2)  This Act shall be repealed on July 1, 2010.