STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3536
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.R. No. 114
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2022
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.R. No. 114 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO JOINTLY DEVELOP AND ADOPT ALL RULES, POLICIES, AND PLAN AMENDMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM TO COVER MEDICALLY-NEEDED SERVICES, INCLUDING APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS SERVICES, FOR INDIVIDUALS AGED TWENTY-ONE AND OLDER WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, INCLUDING AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health and Department of Human Services to jointly develop and adopt all rules, policies, and plan amendments necessary to ensure that the State Medicaid program covers medically-needed services, including applied behavior analysis services, for individuals aged twenty-one and older with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder.
Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Autism Speaks Inc. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Department of Human Services.
Your Committees find that neurodevelopmental disorders are disabilities associated primarily with the functioning of the neurological system and brain. Your Committees further find that treatments for individuals with developmental disabilities, such as applied behavior analysis, can improve their physical and mental development. Medicaid covers treatments for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders for persons under the age of twenty-one; however, there are reports of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders who are aged twenty-one and older being denied Med-QUEST coverage for medically-needed autism services, including applied behavior analysis services. Therefore, this measure requests the Department of Health and Department of Human Services to develop all rules, policies, and amendments necessary to ensure that Medicaid covers treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders for persons aged twenty-one and older.
Your Committees acknowledge the testimony of the Department of Health, which noted that research regarding applied behavior analysis for persons with developmental disabilities aged twenty-one and older be reviewed before rules, policies, and amendments are promulgated.
Therefore, your
Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Requesting the Department of Health and
Department of Human Services to review any research regarding applied behavior analysis
for persons with developmental disabilities aged twenty-one and older; and
(2) Amending its title accordingly.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 114, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 114, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,
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________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair |
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________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair |
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