STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1979-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 535

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 535, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEARING AIDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require health insurers in the State to provide a minimum benefit of $1,500 for a reasonably medically necessary hearing aid for each of a member's or beneficiary's hearing-impaired ears every thirty-six months.

The Disability and Communication Access Board, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and four concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Medical Service Association opposed this measure. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Employer Union Health Benefits Trust Fund staff, and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its purpose section;

(2) Changing the minimum benefit amount for a reasonably medically necessary hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear every thirty-six months from $1,500 to an unspecified amount; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 535, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 535, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair