STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3418

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 141

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 141 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A SUNRISE REVIEW OF INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE TESTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a sunrise review of insurance coverage for sexually transmitted disease testing as proposed in S.B. No. 2323, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2016.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that patients may be unable to determine in advance if their health insurance covers testing for sexually transmitted diseases and thus may refrain from seeking appropriate testing because of the potential cost.  Similarly, some health care providers may not screen for such diseases even though the Affordable Care Act requires insurance to cover recommended testing without patient cost sharing.  Yet, the economic cost of sexually transmitted disease testing is minimal compared to the economic and other costs associated with treating those infections.  Your Committee accordingly finds that the Legislature needs more information on the social and financial impacts of any mandatory health insurance coverage of testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

     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. 141 and recommends its adoption.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair