Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 477 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services to expand their QUEST/medicaid programs to provide periodontal care to pregnant women.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Primary Care Association, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, and six individuals. Comments were submitted by the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that basic dental care is an essential health service. Inadequate oral health may result in heart problems, systemic infections, low birth weight, and poor outcomes for pregnant women. Specifically, periodontitis is a cause for concern among pregnant women because such infections produce byproducts and chemicals that reach the uterus and may cause premature births at a rate seven times greater than in women who do not have periodontitis. Your Committees note that premature birth can lead to serious consequences, is the leading cause of neonatal death, and can cause lifelong health problems such as mental retardation, blindness, chronic lung disease, and cerebral palsy. Your Committees believe that this measure will protect the health of the fetus and minimize other health consequences that can result from periodontitis.

Your Committees have amended this measure to limit the QUEST and medicaid benefits received under this measure to pregnant women enrolled in those programs to a maximum of $500 per year per person.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 477, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 477, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.