STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3352

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 2392
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 2392, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require all individual
accident and sickness health care policies and all group health
care contracts to cover outpatient diabetes self-management
training, education, equipment, and supplies.

     The bill also moves the Hawaii mental health insurance task
force from the Department of Health to the insurance division of
the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and renames it
the Hawaii mental health task force.

     Your Committee finds that diabetes is a serious condition
that is particularly prevalent in the Native Hawaiian and Asian
communities.  Effective outpatient management of this condition
results in a significant reduction in complications, an increase
in life expectancy, and enhancement of the quality of life of
persons with diabetes.  Health insurances plans also benefit from
outpatient management as health care costs decrease when the
condition is managed.  Requiring coverage of outpatient
management is therefore a win-win situation for all parties.  

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3352
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
2392, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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