S.B. 1348 Summary

• Establishes the Hawaii Health Connector as a nonprofit health insurance exchange to facilitate purchase and sale of qualified health and dental plans in compliance with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with implementation required by January 1, 2014.

• Creates a 15-member board of directors appointed by the governor with senate confirmation, including four ex-officio voting members from state departments (Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Industrial Relations).

• Requires the connector to be self-sustaining by January 1, 2015 through assessments or user fees to participating carriers, and mandates annual audits submitted to the state auditor and legislature.

• Establishes an interim board of 15 stakeholder representatives to recommend policies, procedures, financing mechanisms, and proposed legislation to the 2012 legislature before ceasing operations on June 30, 2012.

• Appropriates $750,000 in federal funds from Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.525 for fiscal year 2011-2012 to support interim board operations.