Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 131 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize an Auditor's analysis of the social and financial impacts of mandatory group health insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Service Association, Resolve of Hawaii, and two individuals.

Sixteen years ago, Hawaii enacted a law requiring health insurance policies to include coverage for a one-time-only in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure, subject to several prerequisites and limitations. Since that time, there have been numerous advances in the field of assisted reproductive technology, including the development of drugs and procedures that provide less costly, less invasive, or more appropriate alternatives to the treatment of infertility.

A measure introduced in the Legislature this session would facilitate the treatment of infertility beyond the limited procedure presently available and consistent with current medical knowledge and practice. S.B. No. 157, S.D 1 (2003) proposes to require health insurance policies for groups of more than fifty persons that provide pregnancy-related benefits to include coverage for medically-necessary expenses of fertility diagnosis and treatment, including medication, surgery, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, artificial insemination, gamete intra fallopian transfer, zygote intra fallopian transfer, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Auditor to analyze the social and financial impacts of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for specific health services or diseases, before any legislative measure that mandates such coverage can be considered. This measure authorizes the Auditor's analysis as to the mandatory coverage proposed in S.B. No. 157, S.D. 1 (2003).

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 131 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.