Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 7 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Auditor to conduct a study of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for hearing aid devices and the services rendered by licensed hearing aid dealers and fitters.

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

Your Committee finds that hearing aid devices and related services can be very cost-prohibitive. While some health insurance providers currently provide insurance coverage for hearing aid devices and the services rendered by licensed hearing aid dealers and fitters, your Committee would like to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their health insurance provider, are provided adequate insurance coverage.

Your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:

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