Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 7, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Auditor to conduct a study of a proposal to require health insurance coverage for hearing aid devices and services.

The Auditor is required by section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature before any legislation that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, can be considered.

The Department of Health, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council, and three concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Medical Service Association submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that health plans have covered partial costs for eyeglasses for many years. Given Hawaii's growing elderly population, hearing loss may become a widespread problem in the near future. Because hearing devices are very expensive, more individuals could benefit from these devices if health plans were mandated to provide at least partial payments for them.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 7, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.