STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1141

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 106

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 106 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND OBESITY PREVENTION FOR CHILDREN,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers to provide coverage for weight management and obesity prevention for children.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Kaiser Permanente, the American Cancer Society, the American Physical Therapy Association Hawaii Chapter, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that childhood obesity is one of Hawaii's most pressing health problems today.  Mandating health insurance coverage for weight management and obesity prevention programs may substantially assist in reducing the number of children and adolescents whose health is compromised by obesity.

 

     Your Committee further finds that section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires an Auditor's assessment as requested in this measure, before any legislative measure may be considered that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services or specific diseases.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by including language recommended by its proponents that clarifies the importance of providing health insurance coverage for preventive services for overweight children.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 106, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 106, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair