Transcript Highlights:

• </c> representing the Department of Health. representing the Department of Health.
• Keith Hayashi, Department of Education, in support. Uh, Department of Health in support.
• </c><00:37:03.839><c> of</c> involvement with the department of involvement with the department of health
• </c><00:39:36.800><c> of</c> without help from the Department of without help from the Department of
• </c><00:56:04.400><c> of</c> resolution that uh a department of resolution that uh a department of health

Committee: House Health

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several health-related resolutions and received testimony on each. HCR 28/HR 27 would ask the Department of Health to reconvene a working group on water and air contamination and remediation tied to the Pu‘uloa Range training facility; supporters said nearby residents and the broader public may be exposed to lead and heavy metals, and that further testing and eventual relocation of the range are needed. HCR 35 would request an auditor’s report on the social and financial effects of mandatory insurance coverage for biomarker testing, and HCR 36 would request a similar report on colorectal cancer screening coverage. The Department of Health and cancer advocates supported both, saying biomarker testing helps match patients to the right treatment and that earlier colorectal screening improves outcomes; DOH also cited screening data showing lower screening rates among uninsured people. HCR 134, on limiting cost sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging, drew support from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and others, who said out-of-pocket costs can delay diagnosis and treatment. HCR 171, on mandatory coverage for continuous glucose monitoring, also drew support from health and disability advocates. HCR 185, on coverage for Native Hawaiian healing and cultural practitioners through federally qualified health centers, received support from Papa Ola Lōkahi and a community testifier who described the value of traditional healing and access gaps. HCR 173, urging DOH outreach and vaccination drives at schools with low vaccination rates, drew support from DOH, DOE, and public health and disability advocates, but also strong opposition from several testifiers who argued the measure was government overreach and raised concerns about vaccine safety and parental choice. Testimony on HCR 173 was the most divided, with supporters emphasizing the need to raise immunization rates to prevent outbreaks and protect vulnerable children, while opponents argued schools should not host vaccine drives and that parents should make vaccination decisions without government involvement. The Department of Health said it is already working with schools and community partners to expand school-based immunization efforts and would prioritize schools with rates under 30%. The State Health Planning and Development Agency also supported the measure, saying rates below 50% are a serious public health concern. No votes or final committee actions were announced in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The application of the recommendations of ACIP are replaced with those of the Department of Health.
• of the Washington Department of the American Academy of Pediatrics here to speak in support of House
• This proposed amendment provides the Department of Corrections shall coordinate with the Department of
• This proposed amendment provides the Department of Corrections shall coordinate with the Department of
• The Department of Corrections presumably has current authority to coordinate with the Department of Health

Bills: HB1496 , HB2182 , HB2196 , HB2242

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: patients' rights, healthcare information, medical confidentiality, health data security, healthcare access, abortion, medications, reproductive health, access, healthcare, PANDA, PANS, treatment access, mental health, legislation, preventive services, state authority, definitions clarification, public health, 904

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the director of the City of Santa Rosa's water department.
• So, moving to insurance, which is always sort of at the center of what we're about, we have always helped
• If people have insurance gaps, which a very, very large number of people do, what kind of funding mechanisms
• along the spine of the Sierras, and insurers found that out too.
• That's sort of been a third rail for insurers.

Summary: The hearing focused on lessons from the 2017 Tubbs Fire and how Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, and local partners have changed wildfire prevention, recovery, and rebuilding practices since then. Assemblymembers emphasized that the region has become a model for the state, with a shift from suppression to prevention, and panelists described improvements in defensible space, home hardening, vegetation management, alerting, and community coordination. The discussion also highlighted the continuing importance of sharing Sonoma County’s experience with other wildfire-impacted communities across California and beyond. Fire officials and local leaders described specific prevention measures now in place, including Santa Rosa’s vegetation management ordinance, ignition-free/Zone Zero requirements in rebuilding, restrictions on certain mulches, removal of dead and dying trees near roads and defensible space zones, and expanded prescribed burning authority. They also stressed the importance of community organization through block captains, Firewise/COPE-style networks, and the Mark West Area Community Fund. Speakers said these networks helped residents navigate recovery, avoid fraud and bad contractors, coordinate with local agencies, and support neighbors, but they argued that such efforts need more formal structure and stable funding. Water and permitting officials discussed how the fires changed their work. Santa Rosa Water described new regional coordination, generator and backup power upgrades, emergency training, and lessons learned about wildfire-related contamination in water systems, including the need to restore pressure, flush, and test quickly after a fire. Permit Sonoma said rebuilding was balanced by streamlining permits while still requiring safer, more resilient construction, and noted that reduced fees and one-stop permitting helped speed recovery. United Policyholders described helping residents maximize insurance proceeds, organize information, and avoid scams, while warning that insurance availability and affordability remain major barriers and that insurers are increasingly rewarding risk-reduction measures. Across the panels, the main policy requests were for faster and more flexible grant processes, more stable long-term funding for prevention and community programs, stronger support for home hardening and defensible space, better training and tools for local governments and legislative staff, and continued attention to insurance and utility-related resilience. No formal votes or actions were taken in the transcript excerpt; the hearing was informational and ended with a transition toward public comment and further discussion of remaining statewide wildfire policy needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I'd also like to personally thank our partners from the Department of Justice, Department of Managed
• Healthcare, Department of Healthcare Services.
• We're joined by the Department of Justice, Department of Managed Health Care, and Department of Health
• Mary Watanabe, Director of the Department of Managed Health Care.
• Running out of chairs. Joseph Donaldson, Department of Finance.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on access to gender-affirming care in California, with members of the Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees hearing first from the Department of Justice, Department of Managed Health Care, and Department of Health Care Services. State officials described California’s legal protections against discrimination, privacy protections, shield laws, and Medi-Cal and commercial plan coverage requirements for medically necessary gender-affirming care. They also outlined ongoing litigation and advocacy against federal actions and proposed rules that could restrict care, including challenges to executive orders, HHS declarations, and federal reimbursement rules, as well as a temporary restraining order protecting care at Rady Children’s Hospital. Committee members pressed the agencies on why some hospitals that had stopped providing care had not been sued, how the state measures network adequacy and equitable access, whether the $15 million previously allocated for gender-affirming care had been used, and what additional statutory changes might be needed. DMHC and DHCS said they regulate health plans rather than providers directly, rely on complaints and independent medical review to address denials or delays, and do not track utilization or have a specific provider category for gender-affirming care. DOJ said it is focused on the federal government as the source of pressure on hospitals and providers, while members discussed possible shield-law expansions and, if federal rules are finalized, the possibility of state-only funding to preserve access. The second panel featured a physician, clinic leaders, parents, and a transgender teen describing how families navigate care and the effects of hospital closures and insurance barriers. Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy gave a history of transgender health care, described puberty blockers and hormones as established treatments, and said minors need parental consent for medical interventions. J.M. Jaffe of Lyon Martin Community Health Services said community clinics are absorbing patients after hospital programs closed and asked for $26 million in state funding to expand capacity. Parents and youth testified about delays, out-of-network referrals, lost coverage, and the emotional strain of uncertainty, while also urging the Legislature to stabilize access and protect continuity of care.

Transcript Highlights:

• First up, we have the Department of Health.
• First up, we have the Department of Health.
• Uh, Department of &gt;&gt; Thank you, chair. Uh, Department of Health,<00:11:12.720><c> please.
• Um and department of health statute.
• :13:14.640><c> it</c><01:13:14.880><c> actually</c> of insurance, wouldn't it actually of insurance,

Bills: SB2936 , SB2850 , SB2851 , SB2521

Committee: House Health

Keywords: accessible parking, disability, kupuna, public accommodations, small business exemptions, Hawaii Revised Statutes, parking permit, blind, deaf, accessibility, deafness, traffic safety, law enforcement, vehicle registration, communication, emergency services, commercial driver's license, first responders, public safety, authorized emergency vehicle

Summary: The joint hearing covered House Bill 251, which would require hospitals to report costs associated with Medicare and uninsured patients, and House Bill 1875, which would expand protections for gender-affirming health care services. On HB 251, the Department of Health said it supported the intent but described the bill as complicated and potentially impractical as drafted because the department lacks the expertise to produce the required analyses without outside help. Hawaii Health Systems Corporation echoed those concerns, while the Queen’s Health System said it was willing to work with the department to provide the information. In committee discussion, officials explained that hospital support in Hawaii includes public hospital appropriations and the provider tax program, which uses hospital and nursing home contributions to draw federal matching funds; a department witness estimated the net benefit at about $150 million for hospitals and $20 million for nursing facilities, though exact figures would be provided later. On HB 1875, the Insurance Division testified with concerns that the bill’s language on prohibited actions by malpractice insurers was broad and vague, and that a rate-increase prohibition could conflict with actuarially based insurance pricing. The division also noted it was not the primary enforcement agency for the statute. In contrast, many testifiers strongly supported the bill, including the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, PFLAG Oahu, the ACLU of Hawaii, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, the Hawaii County Democratic Party, and others. Supporters argued that gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based, and protected by privacy and bodily autonomy principles, and that the bill would protect patients and providers from outside political interference. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is agreed-upon language with our insurer friends, and it's the product of five years of work now
• Again, insurers set the terms of the exemption program.
• It does require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to promulgate an annual report on prior
• :03:59.120><c> promulgate</c> department of insurance to um promulgate department of insurance to um
• </c> Have with me today Sean Arm from the Kentucky Department of Insurance.

Committee: House Banking & Insurance

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:16 HB 176 Discussion 01:10 HB 176 Vote 06:45 HB 184 Discussion 08:47 HB 184 Vote 09:53 HB 265 Discussion 10:39 HB 265 Vote 15:09, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the Department of Finance.
• Cruz of Boise as Director of the Department of Finance. Welcome, Mr. Cruz.
• In September will be my 13th year of service with the department.
• you, and I appreciate your support and your support of the department.
• our mandate, part of the mission of the department.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Human Resources

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So these these um number of members that are shown on this slide, there was no health insurance reimbursement
• So these these um number of members that are shown on this slide, there was no health insurance reimbursement
• So these these um number of members that are shown on this slide, there was no health insurance reimbursement
• did was it allowed cities, sheriffs departments, and post-secondary institutions to offer health insurance
• Number of members that are shown on this slide, there was no health insurance reimbursement charged to

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:54 Pension System Update 00:03:38, 958, all

Summary: The committee held its first official interim meeting after merging the General Government and Finance, Personnel, and Public Retirement committees, establishing a quorum and opening with the pledge and prayer. Members then received a briefing from KPPA representatives Ryan Barrow and Aaron Sarock on the state retirement systems, including KERS, CERS, and SPRS, and on the importance of fully funding the actuarially determined employer contribution, supplemental appropriations, and investment earnings in reducing unfunded liabilities. They said the systems have made progress toward a statutory closed amortization target of 2049 and emphasized that supplemental funding lowers current employer contribution rates but does not change that end date. A major topic was federal and state reemployment-after-retirement rules for retirees who return to work with participating employers. KPPA explained that retirees must have a bona fide separation from service, no prearranged agreement to return, and generally a one-calendar-month break in service for retirees on or after January 1, 2024. If a member fails to comply, retirement benefits can be voided, payments stopped, health coverage ended, and benefits repaid. The presenters also noted that rehired retirees do not earn a second retirement account, and employers rehiring them must pay employer contributions and, in non-exempt cases, reimburse health insurance costs. Members asked about the scale of rehired retirees and the difference between employer contribution and health insurance reimbursement amounts. KPPA said that in fiscal year 2025 there were over 3,500 rehired retirees in CERS and over 5,000 in SPRS, with substantial employer contributions and health reimbursement payments collected. They also explained that some positions are exempt from these chargebacks, including school resource officers and certain law enforcement positions that meet statutory criteria. The committee discussed House Bill 213, which allows cities, sheriffs’ departments, and post-secondary institutions to offer health insurance to rehired officers if authorized by the governing body, effective August 1, 2026, and clarifies the fiscal-year basis for certain exemption limits. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the chief deputy commissioner for the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
• The department is in process of engaging with our licensees to obtain data and get an understanding of
• I'm also a tech worker who's unemployed and I'm running out of my employment insurance as well.
• I'm also a tech worker who's unemployed and I'm running out of my employment insurance as well.
• And our insurance payout was—we only had access to a certain amount of funds because our insurance payout

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee held an outcomes review of AB 238, the wildfire mortgage forbearance law, focused on how the law has worked for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Chair Valencia and Assemblymember Harabedian said the hearing was intended to hear directly from survivors, assess whether the law is being implemented as intended, and identify fixes. Several survivors described losing homes, facing long rebuild timelines, and struggling with insurers, housing costs, and mortgage servicers. Many said they encountered confusion, inconsistent information, requests for financial documentation, lump-sum repayment demands, credit reporting problems, or loan modifications that they viewed as undermining the law’s purpose. Some urged clearer consumer education, a consumer bill of rights, and an extension of forbearance relief; one witness specifically advocated for AB 1847 to extend forbearance to 36 months. DFPI Chief Deputy Commissioner Suzanne Martindale said the department had received about 300 wildfire-related consumer complaints, mostly about mortgage forbearance, and that more than 91% had been resolved in the consumer’s favor. She said the department works with both state-licensed and federally regulated institutions, but its authority is limited when national banks are involved, so it often uses outreach and direct contact with lenders and federal partners to resolve complaints. She also described recurring complaint themes such as difficulty obtaining forbearance, customer-service breakdowns, withholding of insurance funds, and non-interest-bearing impound accounts. Committee members pressed DFPI on which institutions were noncompliant, what enforcement tools were available, and how much data the state could collect and make public. Representatives of the California Bankers Association and California Mortgage Bankers Association said lenders had provided early disaster relief and were working to comply with AB 238, but emphasized that mortgage servicing is constrained by federal law, investor requirements, and secondary-market guidelines. They argued that forbearance is temporary relief, not forgiveness, and warned that extending it without a clear repayment path can create future payment shock or larger debt burdens. They also said many servicers use disaster protocols tied to federal declarations and that clearer communication is needed. In response to committee concerns, the mortgage bankers said they would continue working with the Legislature and federal agencies, but could not promise changes beyond investor and agency rules. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the Minnesota Department of Commerce and MEnUre presentation on the state of the private insurance
• I'm the deputy commissioner of insurance at the Department of Commerce, and I'm joined here by my colleague
• I'm the deputy commissioner of insurance at the Department of Commerce, and I'm joined here by my colleague
• 30:52.559><c> of</c> mean, that's probably Department of mean, that's probably Department of Health,<
• the department of health and with within the department of health and I'm<00:31:00.399><c> sure</c><

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not regulation of how policies are put together; that's the Department of Insurance.
• It's worth asking that question as well to the Department of Insurance, to the extent it was an insurance
• It's worth asking that question as well to the Department of Insurance, to the extent it was an insurance
• It's worth asking that question as well to the Department of Insurance, to the extent it was an insurance
• <c> of</c> and licensed with the Department of and licensed with the Department of Insurance<05:06:18.718

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:59.120><c> Department</c><00:10:59.440><c> of</c> speaking on behalf of Department of speaking
• </c><00:29:33.919><c> of</c> skipped over the State Department of skipped over the State Department of
• Department of &gt;&gt; Okay. Thank you very much. Department of Health.
• So, the Department of of the committee.
• </c><02:10:13.679><c> of</c> And first up, we have Department of And first up, we have Department of

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing opened with House Bill 1969, which would provide state funding for colorectal cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured residents. The Department of Human Services said it supports the goal of early screening but would need new administrative capacity, including a program manager and claim pre-screening, to run the program. The Department of Health supported the measure and cited low screening rates in Hawaii, noting an educational campaign to encourage screening. The Insurance Division raised concerns about reliance on federal FAQs, warning that guidance can change and may create state cost exposure. Supporters including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Hawaii Medical Association argued the bill would close a preventive-care gap, reduce late-stage diagnoses, and save long-term costs; the committee also discussed implementation costs, estimated by DHS at roughly $1.4 million to $2 million annually plus administrative expenses, and a 6-month to 1-year timeline to establish the program. The committee then took up House Bill 1965, which would require health carriers to spend at least 6% of total medical expenditures on primary care providers. The Insurance Division said several provisions raise technical and legal concerns, including the premium freeze, the medical loss ratio language, the lack of an existing external review process for downcoding claims, and a new mandate for medically necessary inter-island transportation that could trigger an ACA defrayal. The Department of Human Services supported the intent but suggested broader language to include primary care supports and services, and noted that QUEST integration plans already invested at least 9% of total medical expenditures in primary care in 2024, with additional spending on supports and low-value care reductions. State health planning officials strongly supported the bill as an investment in primary care, saying it could improve outcomes and lower long-term costs, though they acknowledged a possible temporary premium increase during the transition. Testimony in support emphasized Hawaii’s physician shortage, especially on Maui, the Big Island, and other neighbor islands, and warned that clinics are under financial strain and may close without higher primary care reimbursement. The Hawaii Healthcare Task Force, AARP Hawaii, and other supporters said the bill would help retain providers, improve access for Medicare and Medicaid patients, and prevent downstream costs from emergency room use and avoidable hospitalizations. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• health</c> uh department of department of health uh department of department of health council<00:26
• <00:26:59.360><c> of</c><00:26:59.600><c> Human</c> Department of Human Department of Human Services<
• </c><00:28:16.320><c> of</c> why do we even need the Department of why do we even need the Department
• </c><00:50:33.839><c> Attorney</c> of the Department of the Attorney of the Department of the Attorney
• So the insurance company's claim of 11%.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: At a joint Senate hearing on SCR 198 and SR 178, the committees considered resolutions urging Hawaii insurers and the Hawaii Property Insurance Association to seek subrogation claims against polluters linked to worsening climate impacts and higher insurance costs. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with 47 written testimonies in support and additional oral support from former Honolulu chief resilience officer Josh Tamro. The committees recommended passage with amendments, narrowing the language to refer specifically to polluters who knowingly engaged in misleading and deceptive practices about the connection between their products and climate change, along with technical non-substantive edits. Both committees adopted the amended resolutions by vote. At a separate joint hearing on STR 226 and SR 201, which urged changes to Medicaid 1915 home and community-based services waiver eligibility criteria, supporters argued the current rules and administrative guidance were inconsistent and left some people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with mental health dual diagnoses, without proper access. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities and Hawaii Disability Rights Center supported the intent but noted factual issues and said a memo from the department addressed only part of the problem, not the mental health-related concerns. After discussion, the chair concluded the resolution was not the best vehicle and deferred it, suggesting a more comprehensive bill would be needed. The Commerce and Consumer Protection committee also took up HB 799 HD2 SD1 on healthcare and recommended passage with amendments, including striking a written transfer-agreement requirement, shortening the sunset to June 30, 2028, removing a related timeline, and making technical corrections. In another joint hearing, SCR 222 and SR 197, which would have urged towing companies to have on-site ATMs for vehicle owners, drew opposition from the Office of Consumer Protection, which said Act 60 already requires credit and debit card acceptance and that ATMs could let companies evade the law. Members noted ongoing complaints and weak enforcement, and the chair recommended turning the issue into a task force for further study, with decision-making deferred because of quorum issues. The committee also heard several other resolutions: STR 57 and SR 41, urging Congress to create a national reinsurance program, received only supportive testimony; STR 70 and SR 54, calling for a pharmacy reimbursement working group, also drew support; and STR 123, proposing an attorney general-led landlord-tenant working group, received comments from the Attorney General’s Office suggesting a more appropriate lead agency and noting the Legislative Reference Bureau may be better suited to assist. No final adverse action was taken on those measures during the hearing segment described.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
• </c><00:36:46.319><c> of</c> I've ever been to the Department of I've ever been to the Department of
• </c><00:36:48.160><c> of</c> Commerce where is the Department of Commerce where is the Department of
• </c><00:38:08.319><c> of</c> pay rent to the Department of pay rent to the Department of administration
• department</c> budget and an overview of the department budget and an overview of the department I'm<

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Insurance.
• of Insurance.
• Members, we have resource witnesses from the Texas Department of Insurance.
• We have a resource witness from the Texas Department of Insurance for any of the members if you have
• If not, is there anyone else who wish to Department of Insurance for any of the members you have questions

Committee: House S/C on Workforce

Summary: The subcommittee heard testimony on a broad agenda of workforce, labor, and workers’ compensation bills. HB 4676 would require political subdivision workers’ compensation networks to follow the same notice, access, and complaint rules as certified TDI networks; supporters said public employees and first responders deserve equal access to care, while municipal risk pool representatives opposed added regulation and said existing 504 networks already perform well. HB 4479 would create a rural workforce development grant program at TWC to support college-and-career readiness and local workforce alignment, and HB 3844 would define “opportunity youth” in state law to improve data, coordination, and access to services for disconnected young Texans; both drew strong support from rural, education, and chamber witnesses. HB 5545 would clarify federal tax treatment for wage-replacement benefits in non-subscriber injury benefit plans, with proponents calling it a win for employers and injured workers. HB 5118 would direct TWC and DIR to study AI and automated employment decision tools in hiring, including bias and oversight concerns. HB 1667 would move existing PTSD workers’ compensation language into a broader Labor Code chapter so more first responders, including state and campus officers, could qualify for benefits; supporters called it a technical fix to extend coverage more evenly across agencies. The committee also heard several first-responder and workers’ compensation bills. HB 2369 would speed up claims handling for injured first responders by allowing a single medical evaluation, giving carriers 60 days to accept or deny a claim, and letting workers seek treatment while disputes proceed; law enforcement supporters said it would help injured officers return to work faster, while opponents warned it would revive extent-of-injury waiver problems and increase litigation. HB 4483 would reclassify certain workers’ compensation maintenance taxes as surcharges to reduce retaliatory taxes imposed by other states on Texas-domiciled carriers, and HB 875, as revised by committee substitute, would create a small-project exception to municipal workers’ compensation and bonding requirements for certain low-value construction contracts in small cities; both were presented as cost-saving measures for Texas employers and local governments. HB 4415 would extend anti-retaliation protections for workers’ compensation claimants from first responders to all public employees and expressly waive sovereign immunity for those claims, with supporters describing it as closing a loophole that leaves public workers without the same remedy available in the private sector. The committee also took testimony on HB 5400, which would expand remedies for sexual harassment victims by removing the requirement to first file an administrative charge, extending the filing deadline from 300 days to two years, clarifying retaliation, and eliminating current damages caps. Supporters, including employment lawyers and a parent of a victim, said the current deadlines and caps prevent many survivors from obtaining counsel or full relief, especially younger workers and those in small workplaces or franchises. Across the agenda, witnesses repeatedly emphasized access to care, fair treatment for injured workers, rural workforce development, and stronger protections for vulnerable employees. After each bill was laid out and testimony heard, the chair generally closed the public hearing and left the bill pending; no final votes were taken, and the subcommittee adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the absence of these clear standards, With the absence of these clear standards, inconsistent insurance
• of Insurance.
• Department of Insurance, a process that continues as we work through some final details together.
• I think the sponsors for working with a bureaucratic agency known as the California Department of Insurance
• Great to be back in front of the Assembly Insurance Committee with this bill.

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 60% of our insured market.
• Uh so out of 60% of our insured market.
• is that we have the actuarial analysis capability of the insurance department.
• insurance<00:37:38.600><c> department.
• ><c> that</c> and insurance department review and that and insurance department review and that was<00

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> federal department of health and human federal department of health and human services<00:04:31.680
• I'm director of life and health at the New Hampshire Insurance Department. everything.
• Um, to give a little history of this legislation, um, Tyler Brennan for the insurance department was
• /c><00:29:01.840><c> that</c> on the insurance role of that of that on the insurance role of that of
• So again, Michelle Heim, director of life and health at New Hampshire Insurance Department.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• insurance premiums, and one of the topics that we've had before us, a number of bills have been introduced
• insurance premiums, and one of the topics that we've had before us, a number of bills have been introduced
• division at the in the insurance division at the Department<00:01:37.399><c> of</c><00:01:37.560><c>
• of Commerce um thank you all Department of Commerce um thank you all for<00:01:39.600><c> inviting</
• of pocket I've always of this money out of pocket I've always been<01:25:23.360><c> insured</c><01:25

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> one of you to vote in favor of this. one of you to vote in favor of this.
• a lot of of cases of civil actually a lot of of cases of civil liability<01:37:52.320><c> for</c><01
• They then purchased multiple versions of that data set that you can buy from the insurance companies.
• They cross-referenced all of these claims and they were looking for specific insurance billing codes.
• So, one of these things that these insurance companies are still requiring is at least one letter of

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all