STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2086

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2052

       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 S.B. No. 2052 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require that hearing aid devices be included in mandatory insurance coverage for Medicaid and private health insurance.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Association.  Oral testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, the Disability and Communication Access Board, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, the Hawaii Center for Independent Living, and two private individuals.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Association of Health Plans.  Comments on the measure were submitted by Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA). 

     Your Committee finds that this measure would increase the number of available health care options for the hearing impaired in the community.  Your Committee further finds that according to the Department of Human Services, Medicaid already covers hearing aids, and that according to HMSA, its Preferred Provider and Health Plan Hawaii Plus plans already cover hearing aids.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing Medicaid from the mandate; 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 S.B. No. 2052, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2052, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair