STAND. COM. REP. NO. 817

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1205

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1205, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEMPORARY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR UNEMPLOYED PERSONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services for the establishment of a temporary health insurance program for unemployed persons.

 

     This measure limits eligibility to unemployed persons without health insurance coverage who are willing to pay for the costs of coverage under the program.  The program established under this measure is funded solely through funds received by the State from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

 

     Your Committee received one comment on the measure.  Copies of written comments submitted are available for review on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that the basic benefits package offered through the program established under this measure is similar to those provided by the Department of Human Services' QUEST-Net plan.  This measure is intended to serve as a safety net to ensure medical coverage is provided to workers who, through no fault of their own, are unemployed and have lost their medical insurance coverage.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2090, to promote continued discussion of the matter.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1205, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1205, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

		____________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair