STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1013

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 28

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 28 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR USE OF THE LIFEBED INTELLIGENT MEDICAL VIGILANCE SYSTEM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct an impact assessment report, pursuant to sections 23‑51 and 23‑52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, on the social and financial impacts of mandating coverage of the use of the LIFEBED Intelligent Medical Vigilance System (LIFEBED) for all policies and contracts, hospital and medical service plan contracts, medical service corporation contracts, and health maintenance organization plans and contracts issued on or after December 31, 2011.  The intent of this measure is to reduce illnesses and injuries and assist in the maintenance of good health for the people of this State. 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Auditor and Hoana Medical Systems, Inc.

     Your Committees find that technologies such as LIFEBED enable more efficient use of resources and staff, permitting nursing staff to be aware of, and respond to, precipitous patient deterioration.  Your Committees further find that mandated insurance coverage for systems like LIFEBED should be more thoroughly considered.  Your Committees heard concerns regarding the request for the support or consideration of a specific commercial product.  Your Committees find that there are additional available technologies that provide hospital bed monitoring capabilities and that these systems should also be evaluated to prevent patient mortality by providing sufficient alerts of potentially dangerous clinical events.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Broadening the request to the Auditor for the assessment of the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers to provide coverage for hospital bed monitoring technology, instead of a product-specific form of bed monitoring technology;

     (2)  Amending its title accordingly; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 28, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 28, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair