Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 61 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a study of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for hearing aid devices and services.

Your Committee finds that earlier this session, S.B. No. 952, relating to health insurance reimbursements, was heard but held by the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing. The bill proposed to amend the health insurance and related statutes by requiring policies to provide coverage for hearing aids and the services rendered by a hearing aid dealer or fitter licensed under Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 451A. The bill exempted certain limited benefit health insurance policies and furthermore did not apply to coverage caps for children that receive early intervention services.

Your Committee further finds that S.B. No. 952 could have added to the social and financial impacts caused by the current requirements of the health insurance and related statutes because those statutes do not specifically require coverage for hearing aids or services rendered by hearing aid dealers or fitters. In other words, the bill proposed to mandate coverage for an additional type of service and an additional type of provider.

Your Committee further finds that section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that, before any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services or certain providers of health care services may be considered, the Legislature must pass concurrent resolutions requesting the Auditor to assess both the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage.

Your Committee finds that S.B. No. 952 effectively proposes such mandatory health insurance coverage. Your Committee also finds that the present measure, S.C.R. No. 61, satisfies the required concurrent resolution to request the Auditor to produce the necessary impact assessment report.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 61 and recommends its adoption.