FIRST Conference Committee on HB10-1021 (04/19/2010)

STAFF SUMMARY OF FIRST MEETING OF

FIRST CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB10-1021

Date:	04/19/2010	ATTENDANCE

Time:	09:35 AM to 09:56 AM	McCann	X
		Boyd	X
Place:	HCR 0109	Swalm	X
		Scheffel	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Foster	X
Representative Frangas		Frangas	X
This Report was prepared by
Christie Lee

09:36 AM -- House Bill 10-1021

Representative Frangas called the committee to order. He asked the drafter of the bill to discuss the draft conference committee reports.

09:37 AM

Kristen Forrestal, Office of Legislative Legal Services, walked the committee through the three draft conference committee reports. She explained that the first draft report makes pregnancy a pre-existing condition, the second and third drafts allow companies to exclude coverage for pregnancy and delivery on the grounds that pregnancy is a preexisting condition, except the second draft requires coverage after six months and the third draft requires coverage after twelve months.

09:37 AM

Senator Foster asked some questions about the various drafts and how it would effect women who have coverage before they become pregnant. Ms. Forrestal explained that the woman would be covered under her policy because she obtained it prior to becoming pregnant. She also explained the six- and twelve-month waiting provisions. Representative Swalm and Senator Foster discussed pregnancy riders and the costs associated with them. Senator Boyd suggested having a draft that created a three-month exclusion from coverage. The following draft reports were distributed:

CLHB1021l.006 (Attachment A);

CLHB1021l.007 (Attachment B); and

CLHB1021l.008 (Attachment C).

09:46 AM

Representative Frangas talked about including prenatal care. Representative Swalm talked about how the recession has disproportionately burdened men in the health insurance industry and gave an example. He talked about COBRA and how, although expensive, it is the best option for pregnancy in some cases. He talked about the effects adding maternity would have on the cost of health insurance and suggested minimizing the expenses that will be shifted to employers. Representative Swalm talked about the number of denials from insurance companies for preexisting conditions. Senator Foster talked about the individual market and said once this is included, women cannot be denied because they are pregnant. She explained that her hope is this will collapse the individual market into the large group market.

09:54 AM

Senator Schefel said he would like to redefine the focus of the bill and stated that the original intent was maternity coverage and not contraceptive coverage and proposed draft report CLHB1021L.004 (Attachment D). The draft report states that the Senate recede from its amendments and amends the rerevised bill to exclude contraceptive coverage. Senator Foster clarified that the contraception piece was always included.

09:56 AM

Representative Frangas stated that the members are required to be on the floor at 10:00 a.m. so he suggested they return later in the day. The committee was adjourned and would return at 3:30 p.m.