STAND. COM. REP. 3338

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 54

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 54 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES' POLICY OF EXPEDITED PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FROM PREGNANT WOMEN USING THE "MEDICAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION FOR CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN ONLY" FORM ON EARLY ENTRY INTO PRENATAL CARE AND SUBSEQUENT BIRTH OUTCOMES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide the Legislature with verification that the expedited application processing policy recently implemented by the Department of Human Services for MedQuest applications received from pregnant women has made a satisfactory impact on the timely access to prenatal care by low income women.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the March of Dimes, Healthy Babies Healthy Mothers, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and an individual. Hawaii Primary Care Association submitted testimony in opposition. The Department of Human Services (department) submitted comments.

Your Committees find that national studies demonstrate that pregnant women without health insurance coverage are more likely to delay or go without needed medical care than women who have coverage. In an effort to reduce administrative barriers to prenatal care access, administrations throughout the country are implementing measures to streamline the eligibility process to state-administered insurance programs. In Hawaii, the department has provided an expedited processing of MedQuest applications received from pregnant women. While this application process is not a means to reducing bureaucratic barriers to prenatal access, it may serve Hawaii's needs without adding additional administrative burden on the department. The evaluation proposed by this concurrent resolution should provide an indication on whether this process is working.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 54 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

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SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair