STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3573

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2532

       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 Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2532 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require all health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide mandatory coverage for all policyholders, members, subscribers, and individuals under age twenty-one for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders beginning December 1, 2009.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Cure Autism Now, the Autism Society of Hawaii, Autism Speaks, and eleven individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the Hawaii Medical Service Association submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that a Concurrent Resolution requesting the Auditor's review is required, pursuant to sections 23-51 and 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, when proposing a new mandate for health insurance coverage.  Your Committee further finds that S.C.R. No. 196, S.D. 1 (2008) requests the Auditor to conduct an impact assessment report, pursuant to sections 23-51 and 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, of the social and financial impacts of mandating coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders for all policies and contracts, hospital and medical service plan contracts, medical service corporation contracts, and health maintenance organization plans and contracts issued after December 31, 2008, as provided in S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1 (2008).

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the definition of "medically necessary".

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2532, as amended herein, and recommends that it be recommitted to the Committee on Health, in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair