STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1376-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.C.R. No. 15

  H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 15 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO OFFER COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to request the Auditor to conduct an impact assessment report, studying the social and financial impacts of mandating coverage for hearing aids for Medicaid, policies and contracts, hospital and medical service plan contracts, medical service corporation contracts, and health maintenance organization plans.

     The Disability and Communication Access Board, Kaiser Permanente and two concerned individuals supported the intent of this measure.

     Based on testimony and subsequent discussion, your Committee amended this measure to include other matters for the Auditor to address in an impact assessment report to include the following:

• Identify the number of residents in Hawaii in the target population who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind, based on the national prevalence rates;
• A survey of other states in the U.S. which have implemented a mandate for hearing aids or cochlear implant;
• Research public and private entities that provide coverage for hearing aids to determine what is currently being used as a standard for frequency of replacement, as well as cost limitations of the coverage benefit. This research should examine whether different standards are applied to adults and children;
• Examine current medically necessary standards of care used to determine what type of hearing aid best suits an individual with hearing loss. Examine existing and possible future technology;
• Compare the cost and utilization of cochlear implants to hearing aid devices.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 15, 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. 15, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Health,

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair

____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair