STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3199

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 35

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 35, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO PROVIDE INFERTILITY PROCEDURE COVERAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct an impact assessment report of the social and financial impacts of mandating infertility procedure coverage for all individual and group accident and health or sickness insurance policies that provide pregnancy-related benefits, as provided in S.B. No. 2909, S.D. 1, of the Regular Session of 2014.

     More specifically, this measure requests the Auditor to examine the impacts of mandating a benefit of three in vitro fertilization cycles or a live birth for all outpatient expenses arising from in vitro fertilization procedures performed on the insured or insured's dependent, effective July 1, 2014.

     No written comments on the measure were received by your Committee.

     Your Committee finds that in the nearly twenty-five years since the enactment of the law that requires coverage of in vitro fertilization, there have been substantial changes and improvements in assisted reproductive technologies that could provide couples in Hawaii with additional treatment options appropriate for their specific infertility diagnosis.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 35, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair