HI HR141

Requests the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to establish a statewide Health Insurance Premium Task Force to study rising health insurance premium issues and recommend a comprehensive plan to address them.

Task force must investigate identified cost drivers including physician and pharmaceutical costs, expensive technologies, fragmented care, lack of patient cost awareness, fee-for-service models, high administrative expenses, unhealthy lifestyles, expensive end-of-life care, provider consolidation, and aging population.

Task force membership includes 14 representatives from state agencies (Human Services, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Health), employer groups, health insurers (HMSA, Kaiser Permanente), medical associations, healthcare organizations, and disease prevention groups (American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii).

Task force must develop recommendations for the Legislature including identifying additional cost drivers beyond those listed, proposing an achievable health insurance premium cost growth rate target, and comparing Hawaii's premiums and rate increases to other states.

Requires transmission of certified copies of the resolution to the Governor and all designated task force members and organizations.