House Passes Bills Prohibiting Unreasonable Denials, Creating Opioid Rules

The Hawaii House of Representatives passed a bill that would prohibit unreasonable denials of workers’ compensation claims, and another measure requiring doctors to inform injured workers about potential risks when prescribing opioids. The House on Friday unanimously passed SB 2364, by Sen. Jill N. Tokuda, D-Kane’ohe, which would prohibit employers from denying claims without cause or while an investigation is underway. SB 2364 would also create a presumption of compensability for claims filed by those excluded from coverage under the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act. And it wo...