STAND. COM. REP. NO. 39

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 654

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 654 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to mandate health insurance coverage for treatments related to the cessation of tobacco use and inform policyholders about the availability of the new coverage.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, American Heart Association, and Kaiser Permanente.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that cigarette smoking is a significant cause of preventable disease and death in Hawaii.  Approximately 176,000 adults in Hawaii report being current smokers.  This measure will assist smokers in ending their addiction by improving their access to smoking cessation programs.

     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. 654 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

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

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair