STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3012

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2761

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2761, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WOMEN'S HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend post-partum and interconception care from eight weeks to six months for all women of childbearing age who participate in the Hawaii QUEST program.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the American Physical Therapy Association Hawaii Chapter, the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, the March of Dimes Foundation Hawaii Chapter, and four private citizens.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Association.  Written comments on the measure were submitted by the Department of Human Services. 

     Your Committee finds that this measure would provide a cost‑effective means to contribute to the overall improvement in health and access to healthcare for women and children in Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that this measure would help to reduce the instances of unintended pregnancies and poor birth outcomes, and ensure that new mothers have access to much needed pre- and post-partum support and services.

     Your Committee notes that, in order to be eligible for Hawaii QUEST benefits, adults must not have countable family income that is more than one-hundred per cent of the current Federal Poverty Level, and pregnant women must not have a countable family income that is more than one-hundred-eighty-five per cent of the current Federal Poverty Level (with her unborn child(ren) included in her household size).  Currently, interconception services are covered for women receiving QUEST benefits who are at or below one-hundred per cent of Federal Poverty Level.  This measure is necessary to provide post-partum and interconception coverage for women who are QUEST beneficiaries whose countable family income is between one‑hundred-one and one-hundred-eighty-five per cent of Federal Poverty Level.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments made by the March of Dimes Foundation by removing the requirement that the Department of Health determine an age range for applicability for "women of childbearing age", and removing from the coverage description for women "of childbearing age"; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2761, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2761, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair