Bill Text: HI SB615 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Health Insurance; Infertility Treatments

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [SB615 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB615-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 787

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 615

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 615, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INFERTILITY PROCEDURES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase access to infertility procedures by requiring insurance coverage for infertility treatment procedures other than in vitro fertilization.

 

The measure also removes the current requirement that recipients of covered infertility treatments be married.

 

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine; Dr. Philip I. McNamee, Practice Director, Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute; Dr. LeighAnn C. Frattarelli, MPH; and one individual.

 

     Your Committee received comments in opposition to this measure from Jennifer Diesman, Vice President, Government Relations, Hawaii Medical Service Association; Hawaii Association of Health Plans; and Dr. Benton Chun.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from Gordon Ito, State Insurance Commissioner, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that there are numerous effective and safe procedures to treat infertility, including in vitro fertilization and other newer procedures.  Your Committee further finds that requiring insurers to cover these procedures will provide childless couples with more options for having children.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Replacing the requirement that infertility treatment procedures covered by insurance be performed at medical facilities that are members of the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technologies with the requirement that the procedures be performed at medical facilities that conform to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines or to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine minimal standards; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 615, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 615, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair