Bill Text: HI HB1041 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund; Medicare Part B Reimbursements

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2012-04-13 - (H) Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 747). [HB1041 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HB1041-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1246

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1041

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1041, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to eliminate Medicare Part B reimbursements for employee-beneficiaries who are hired after June 30, 2011, and their spouses.

 

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Derek Mizuno, Deputy Executive Director, Hawaii Government Employees Association.

 

     Your Committee received comments in opposition to this measure from Kris Coffield, Legislative Director, IMUAlliance; and ten individuals.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from David M. Louie, Attorney General, Department of the Attorney General; Kalbert Young, Director, Department of Budget and Finance; the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund; and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that eliminating Medicare Part B reimbursements is one way of containing the ever-increasing cost of retiree health benefits paid by state and county employers.  Furthermore, this measure will facilitate the sustainability of benefits under the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the Medicare Part B reimbursement is tied to the annual "standard" Medicare Part B premium and providing a definition for that term.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1041, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1041, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair