| 45 | | - | WHEREAS, Hawaii has long been a leader in advancing reproductive rights and advocating for equitable and affordable access to sexual and reproductive health care; and WHEREAS, federal protections for abortion, preventive care, contraceptives, and other sexual and reproductive health care services are consistently threatened, making state protections for these services especially critical; and WHEREAS, numerous states have enacted laws that effectively eliminate abortion access in those states following the Supreme Court of the United States' overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had previously protected abortion access throughout the country; and WHEREAS, the Trump administration made it difficult for insurers to cover abortion care and assembled a Supreme Court whose actions resulted in restricted abortion access, and that may strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and WHEREAS, eliminating the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would force many Hawaii residents to pay more out‑of‑pocket health care costs, leading many to delay or forego needed care; and WHEREAS, access to sexual and reproductive health care, including no-cost preventive services, is critical for the health and economic security of all people in Hawaii and will help avoid more costly treatments in the future; and WHEREAS, House Bill No. 1179, introduced during the Regular Session of 2023, would prohibit discrimination in the provision of sexual and reproductive health care services and also requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage without cost‑sharing for a range of reproductive health services, drugs, devices, products, and procedures; and WHEREAS, House Bill No. 1180, introduced during the Regular Session of 2023, would prohibit discrimination in the provision of sexual and reproductive health care services and also requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage, with cost-sharing allowed, for a range of reproductive health services, drugs, devices, products, and procedures; and WHEREAS, section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that, before considering any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, the Legislature shall adopt a concurrent resolution asking the Auditor to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that assesses the social and financial effects of the proposed mandatory coverage; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Auditor is requested to conduct a social and financial assessment of mandatory health insurance coverage for various sexual and reproductive health care services as proposed by House Bill No. 1179, Regular Session of 2023, and House Bill No. 1180, Regular Session of 2023; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a report of the Auditor's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor, Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Insurance Commissioner. Report Title: Auditor; Impact Assessment Report; Mandatory Health Insurance Coverage; Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Services |
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| 45 | + | WHEREAS, Hawaii has long been a leader in advancing reproductive rights and advocating for equitable and affordable access to sexual and reproductive health care; and WHEREAS, federal protections for abortion, preventive care, contraceptives, and other sexual and reproductive health care services are consistently threatened, making state protections for these services especially critical; and WHEREAS, numerous states have enacted laws that effectively eliminate abortion access in those states following the Supreme Court of the United States' overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had previously protected abortion access throughout the country; and WHEREAS, the Trump administration made it difficult for insurers to cover abortion care and assembled a Supreme Court whose actions resulted in restricted abortion access, and that may strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and WHEREAS, eliminating the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would force many Hawaii residents to pay more out‑of‑pocket health care costs, leading many to delay or forego needed care; and WHEREAS, access to sexual and reproductive health care, including no-cost preventive services, is critical for the health and economic security of all people in Hawaii and will help avoid more costly treatments in the future; and WHEREAS, House Bill No. , introduced during the Regular Session of 2023, would prohibit discrimination in the provision of sexual and reproductive health care services; and WHEREAS, House Bill No. , introduced during the Regular Session of 2023, would prohibit discrimination in the provision of sexual and reproductive health care services and also requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage without cost‑sharing for a range of reproductive health services, drugs, devices, products, and procedures; and WHEREAS, section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that, before considering any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, the Legislature shall adopt a concurrent resolution asking the Auditor to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that assesses the social and financial effects of the proposed mandatory coverage; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Auditor is requested to conduct a social and financial assessment of mandatory health insurance coverage for various sexual and reproductive health care services as proposed by House Bill No. (Regular Session of 2023) and House Bill No. (Regular Session of 2023); and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a report of the Auditor's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor, Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Insurance Commissioner. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Auditor; Impact Assessment Report; Mandatory Health Insurance Coverage; Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Services |
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