STAND. COM. REP. NO. 379

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1506

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1506 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Enable Hawaii's health care providers and insurers to recognize childhood obesity as a formal diagnosis and a billable provider visit;

 

     (2)  Appropriate funds to acquire and distribute obesity management instructional toolkits to the State's pediatricians as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics Hawaii Chapter; and

 

     (3)  To convene a working group under the Department of Health to assess the root causes of childhood obesity and explore the areas of nutrition and preventative care. 

 

The intent of this measure is to combat childhood obesity throughout the State. 

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Chapter American Physical Therapy Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Pacific Health, Papa Ola Lokahi, the American Heart Association, the Hawaii Dietetic Association, and six private citizens.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Association of Health Plans.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from one private citizen.

 

     Your Committees find that the United States is addressing an obesity epidemic of historical proportions and more efforts are needed to combat this problem by addressing obesity at an early age.  Testimony received on this measure indicates that although health plans provide a range of preventative services, more insurance coverage is needed to address childhood obesity.  Your Committees also find that, by initially narrowing the coverage requirements for childhood obesity-related doctor visits, small group collaboration will be encouraged and such collaboration will allow the State to better gauge the potential effectiveness of a larger-scale insurance coverage mandate for the treatment of childhood obesity problems.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing a Childhood Obesity Pilot Program rather than simply enabling Hawaii's health care providers and insurers to recognize childhood obesity as a formal diagnosis and a billable provider visit;

 

     (2)  Limiting the scope of the insurance coverage for childhood obesity-related doctor visits to health care providers participating in the Childhood Obesity Pilot Program; and

 

     (3)  Appropriating funds for the administration of the Childhood Obesity Pilot Program.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1506, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1506, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair