STAND. COM. REP. NO.  871-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   S.B. No. 2491

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2491, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELEMEDICINE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure greater access to health care by:

     (1)  Clarifying telemedicine as a practice of medicine; and

     (2)  Requiring insurers offering medical malpractice insurance coverage to also cover telemedicine services.

     The American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific, Inc.; Hawaii Medical Services Association; and Hawaii State Rural Health Association supported this bill.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawaii Medical Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by providing that telemedicine may be included within the defined scope of the practice of medicine.

     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. 2491, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2491, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair