STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1493

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 18

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 18, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE FORMATION OF A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE PROVISION OF OBESITY PREVENTION-RELATED SERVICES AND COUNSELING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge government, non-profit, and private health care organizations to collaborate on improving the provision of obesity-related services and counseling by health care providers, as mandated under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act guidelines.

 

     Specifically, the measure requests the Department of Health to establish an Obesity Prevention Healthcare Reimbursement Task Force to:

 

     (1)  Assess gaps in health care providers' ability to prevent and provide treatment for obesity-related services and counseling;

 

     (2)  Investigate providers' reimbursement options for the provision of these services;

 

     (3)  Educate providers about these reimbursement options;

 

     (4)  Encourage providers' utilization of reimbursement options; and

 

     (5)  Research how other states are implementing obesity prevention reimbursement practices.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Health, and Hawaii Pacific Health.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that obesity is a major health and economic concern for Hawaii, which results in higher medical costs and lower quality of life.  Your Committee also finds that, in 2009, over $470,000,000 was spent on obesity-related medical expenditures in Hawaii.  Unless obesity prevention and treatment services are easily accessible, such expenditures are likely to continue to increase.  Your Committee further finds that passage of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides an opportunity to assess gaps in healthcare providers' ability to prevent and treat obesity in Hawaii.

 

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 18, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair