STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1180

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 768

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 768, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IN VITRO FERTILIZATION INSURANCE COVERAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to bring equality to insurance coverage for all women diagnosed with infertility by:

(1)  Eliminating discrimination in in vitro fertilization procedure coverage based on marital status; and

(2)  Decreasing the amount of time a patient must be shown to be infertile before in vitro fertilization benefits are provided.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus, Hawaii Women Lawyers, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  A concerned individual supported the intent of this measure and offered amendments.  Hawaii Catholic Conference opposed this measure.  The Department of Human Services and Hawaii Medical Services Association provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Restoring the provision that the patient's oocytes must be fertilized in order for benefits to apply;

(2)  Refining the definition of infertility, as defined by the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, to exclude voluntary sterilization or natural menopause;

(3)  Eliminating the requirement that an individual's physician must determine that the treatments are likely to be successful;

(4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     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. 768, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 768, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair