STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1607
    

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 34
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which
was referred H.C.R. No. 34 entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO
     ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH
     INSURERS TO OFFER COVERAGE FOR BONE MASS MEASUREMENT AND
     HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN CONNECTION WITH OSTEOPOROSIS,
     ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS FOR WOMEN AGED FORTY AND OLDER, CERVICAL
     CYTOLOGY SCREENING, AND TWICE YEARLY DIRECT ACCESS TO
     OBSTETRIC AND GYNECOLOGICAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the
Auditor to study the social and financial impact of requiring
insurance coverage, not as an employer option, for the subscriber
or any dependent of the subscriber who is covered by the policy,
for the following services:

     (1)  Bone mass measurement and hormone replacement therapy
          in connection with osteoporosis;

     (2)  Annual mammograms for women aged forty and over;

     (3)  Cervical cytology screening for women aged eighteen and
          over; and

     (4)  Direct access to twice-yearly obstetric and
          gynecological services.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1607_______
                                 Page 2

 
     The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women testified
in support of this concurrent resolution, citing statistical data
on osteoporosis, breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial
cancer, and ovarian cancer, which data highlight the value and
benefits of prevention and early detection of these diseases.
  
     Your Committee believes that there is an unquestionable
value to effective early detection screenings and preventive
therapies, not only for preserving and enhancing the health and
lives of individual women, but also for preserving the well-being
of our society in general.  The societal repercussions could
reach many levels, from the potential savings in health care
costs to the avoidance of social disruptions within families,
among friends, and in the workplace.  Your Committee finds that
the requested study by the Auditor would facilitate and expedite
the legislature's ability to design optimal health insurance
legislation for these screenings and preventive therapies that
are so important to women.

     Your Committee has amended the concurrent resolution to make
technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity,
consistency, and style.    

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to
this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose
of H.C.R. No. 34, as amended herein, and recommends that it be
referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto
as H.C.R. No. 34, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,



                                   ______________________________
                                   RON MENOR, Chair