STAND. COM. REP. 986

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 956

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 956, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESUMPTIVE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure early and continuous prenatal care through a cost-effective means to support low-income pregnant women by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to presume that a pregnant woman applying for Medicaid or QUEST coverage for prenatal care or other pregnancy-related services is eligible for such coverage, provided that the applicant shows proof of:

(1) An annual income at or below the maximum level allowed under federal law and the Medicaid section 1115 waiver approved for Hawaii; and

(2) Pregnancy through a pregnancy test or a physical examination, as certified by a licensed health care provider.

 

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Kokua Council, MothersCare for Tomorrow's Children, Big Island Malama A Ho`opili Pono Prenatal Consortia, and numerous concerned citizens supported

this bill. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii and AlohaCare supported the intent of this bill. DHS opposed this bill. The Hawaii Medical Service Association offered comments.

Your Committees support efforts to facilitate and improve access to prenatal care for pregnant women. The implementation of presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women not only benefits women, but also serves the best interests of the State as less costly prenatal care helps prevent poor postnatal outcomes, such as low birth weight, that are extremely costly to treat.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the requirement that applicants show proof of an annual income at or below the maximum level allowed under federal law and the Medicaid section 1115 waiver approved for Hawaii;

(2) Deleting the provision that reimbursement standards for prenatal care shall be based on established best practice standards of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and replacing it with the provision that reimbursement standards for prenatal care shall be based on existing DHS standards;

(3) Making this bill effective upon its approval; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 956, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 956, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair