STAND. COM. REP. NO.  22-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1599

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1599 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Require and provide funds to medical assistance programs, including Medicaid and QUEST, to give coverage for chiropractic care for up to 24 visits in a calendar year; and

(2)  Require the Department of Human Services to submit a request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to amend the state Medicaid plan to include chiropractic services as a benefit, allowing the State to receive federal reimbursement.

Several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1599, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1599, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair