Legislature(1993 - 1994)
05/09/1994 09:50 PM House RLS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE
May 9, 1994
9:50 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Carl E. Moses, Chair
Representative Jerry Sanders, Vice Chair
Representative Mark Hanley
Representative Gail Phillips
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Pat Carney
Representative Ramona Barnes
Representative Fran Ulmer
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SB 362: Relating to insurance, to the licensing,
accreditation, examination, regulation,
and solvency of persons engaged in the
insurance business, including insurers,
nonadmitted insurers, purchasing groups,
risk retention groups, and United States
branches of alien insurers; relating to
the management of and the filing of
reports by persons licensed or otherwise
doing business under the insurance code;
amending Alaska Rule of Civil Procedure
45 and providing for an effective date.
HCS CSSB 362(RLS) PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE WITH
INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS
WITNESS REGISTER
PAUL FUHS, Commissioner
Department of Commerce & Economic Development
P.O. Box 110800
Juneau, AK 99811-0800
Phone: 465-2500
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained the two changes in the
proposed work draft and then advised
members that the Governor would prefer
not to have the changes, and would
suggest passage of the CSSB 362 (L&C)
CHARLIE MILLER, Lobbyist
Alaska Regional Hospital
P.O. Box 102286
Anchorage, Alaska 99510
Phone: 561-4773
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke in support of the two changes
made in the proposed work draft for
CSSB 362 (L&C)
PREVIOUS ACTION
SHORT TITLE: OMNIBUS INSURANCE REFORM
BILL VERSION: CSSB 362(L&C)
SPONSOR(S): LABOR & COMMERCE BY REQUEST
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
03/18/94 3268 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
03/18/94 3269 (S) L&C, JUD
03/29/94 (S) L&C AT 01:30 PM FAHRENKAMP
ROOM 203
03/29/94 (S) MINUTE(L&C)
04/05/94 3447 (S) L&C RPT CS 2DP 1NR SAME TITLE
04/05/94 3447 (S) ZERO FN TO SB & CS PUBLISHED
(DCED)
04/11/94 (S) JUD AT 01:30 PM BELTZ ROOM 211
05/02/94 4211 (S) JUD RPT 1DP 2NR (L&C)CS
05/02/94 4211 (S) PREVIOUS ZERO FN (CORR)
05/05/94 4355 (S) RULES RPT 3CAL 2NR 5/5/94
05/05/94 4372 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
05/05/94 4372 (S) L&C CS ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT
05/05/94 4372 (S) MOTION TO ADVANCE WITHDRAWN
05/05/94 4372 (S) THIRD READING 5/6 CALENDAR
05/06/94 4426 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 362
(L&C)
05/06/94 4427 (S) PASSED Y20 N-
05/06/94 4427 (S) COURT RULE CHANGE VOTE SAME AS
PASSAGE
05/06/94 4427 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE SAME AS PASSAGE
05/06/94 4450 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
05/08/94 4169 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
05/08/94 4170 (H) LABOR & COMMERCE
05/08/94 4209 (H) L&C WAIVED PUBLIC HRNG NOTICE,
RULE 23(A)
05/09/94 (H) L&C AT 07:30 PM CAPITOL 17
05/09/94 (H) RLS AT 09:35 PM CAP 102
05/09/94 4239 (H) L&C RPT HCS(L&C) 2DP 2NR 1AM
05/09/94 4240 (H) DP: PORTER, HUDSON
05/09/94 4240 (H) NR: GREEN, WILLIAMS
05/09/94 4240 (H) AM: MULDER
05/09/94 4240 (H) -PREVIOUS SENATE ZERO FN (DCED)
4/5/94
05/09/94 4240 (H) REFERRED TO RULES
05/09/94 4246 (H) RLS WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE,
05/09/94 4246 (H) ...RULE 23(A)
05/09/94 4249 (H) RLS RPT HCS(RLS) 1DP 3NR
05/09/94 4250 (H) DP: MOSES
05/09/94 4250 (H) NR: SANDERS, HANLEY, PHILLIPS
05/09/94 4250 (H) -PREVIOUS SENATE ZERO FN (DCED)
4/5/94
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-2 SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN CARL MOSES called the meeting to order at 9:50
p.m., noted the members in attendance and informed the
committee that SB 362, "Relating to insurance, and the
licensing and accreditation of those involved in the
insurance business," was on the calendar.
REPRESENTATIVE SANDERS MOVED to adopt the work draft of HCS
CSSB 362(), dated 5/7/94 by Ford, numbered 8-LS1757\J.
REPRESENTATIVE HANLEY objected. He said he had voted
against the amendment in the Finance Committee, and would
rather have the version without the amendment.
CHAIRMAN MOSES asked if there were people who wanted to
testify.
PAUL FUHS, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, noted that "the main thrust of the bill changes
the way we look at solvency of insurance companies to make
sure that we don't end up with a Savings and Loan or an
executive life type situation. The two provisions that are
different from what came to you from Labor and Commerce is
1) any willing provider, that means any provider who is
willing to provide the service at the same price an
insurance company, will be required to allow their patients
to go to that provider without any penalty on payment of
those services. The other one is appointment of independent
council. It's a codification of a court case
(indiscernible) in which the policyholder is entitled a
representation independent of the council, proposed by the
insurer defending the case on behalf of the insured. On
both of these, while we're neutral on the substance of the
provisions, you have a letter here from Governor Hickel and
we ask that these amendments not be included, and that you
use the Labor and Commerce committee substitute."
Number 082
CHAIRMAN MOSES asked if there were questions. There were
none.
CHARLIE MILLER, LOBBYIST, ALASKA REGIONAL HOSPITAL, advised
members that he would first address the "any willing
provider" portion of the legislation that "deals with a
problem that we've run into being excluded without any form
of bid process for these PPOs (Preferred Provider
Organizations) and so we've not had an opportunity to share
in some of them. Currently the Aetna PPOs that we deal with
pay full price without any problem."
He further stated that "the Medical Service Corporations in
the area we deal with doesn't allow us to bid either, and
we'd just like to make sure that we have access to the
patients and the physician referrals for our facility in
Anchorage. The doctors and dentists in the community also
support it, I can speak to that a little bit. For them,
it's more of an access issue as far as they don't want to
lose patients that they have or patients that want to
utilize their services because the patient is put into one
of these PPO's, most people that have insurance don't chose
their insurer. It's provided at the work place and they are
put into one of these. They don't have a choice if they're
in a PPO, they're just given that option, I mean they're in
there. If they don't get the doctor they like, that's, they
either have to pay a penalty, or its just not available to
go there. So the doctors would rather see this provision
in."
Number 086
MR. MILLER then noted that "our understanding is that
medical insurers, other than medical service corporations
now already have language similar to this in law, in AS 21.
So they're covered already. This would just bring the rest
of the medical insurance community under the same
provisions. We feel that if that if there were competitive
bidding allowed, that that would foster much more
competition and bring the market forces to bear a lot more
than the current situation where discounts under these
programs but without the competitive bid you don't really
know how big a discount is available in the community. So
we don't think this will hurt the cost and we think it will
help access. We'd hope that you would include this measure,
include this provision in the measure. If there are any
questions, I'd be happy to answer them."
Number 136
CHAIRMAN MOSES asked if there were questions. There were
none.
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS reminded members that there was a
motion on the floor to adopt the HCS CSSB 362(RLS), and that
Representative Hanley had objected.
CHAIRMAN MOSES asked that a roll call vote be taken.
REPRESENTATIVES PHILLIPS, SANDERS AND MOSES voted `YEA'.
REPRESENTATIVE HANLEY voted `NAY.' So the HCS CSSB 362(RLS)
was adopted.
REPRESENTATIVE HANLEY MOVED to pass HCS CSSB 362(RLS) FROM
COMMITTEE with individual recommendations. IT WAS SO
ORDERED.
ADJOURNMENT
CHAIRMAN MOSES adjourned the meeting at 10:00 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|