THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	209
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the Department of Health to conduct a social and financial assessment of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for weight management medication.

WHEREAS, the National Institutes of Health has reported that obesity and being overweight are now the second leading cause of death nationally, with an estimated three hundred thousand deaths a year attributed to the epidemic; and

WHEREAS, obesity increases the risk for chronic diseases and conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, arthritis, mental illness, lipid disorders, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes; and

WHEREAS, clinicians increasingly recognize that obesity is closely linked to genetics and environmental factors; and

WHEREAS, more than half of Medicare beneficiaries are treated for five or more chronic conditions per year; and

WHEREAS, the rate of obesity among Medicare beneficiaries doubled from 1987 to 2002 and nearly doubled again by 2016, with Medicare spending on individuals with obesity during that time rising proportionately to reach $50 billion in 2014; and

WHEREAS, on average, a Medicare beneficiary with obesity costs $2,018 more than a healthy-weight beneficiary; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill No. 1020, introduced in the Regular Session of 2023, proposes to expand existing health insurance mandates to cover weight management medication for persons who are obese or overweight with one or more related comorbidities; 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 Department of Health is requested to conduct an impact assessment report of mandating health insurance coverage for weight management medication as proposed in Senate Bill No. 1020, introduced in the Regular Session of 2023; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is further requested to include in its assessment the impact of section 1311(d)(3) of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on Senate Bill No. 1020, or similar legislation that includes but is not limited to the additional cost of any benefits beyond the essential health benefits of Hawaii's qualified health plans under the PPACA; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is also requested to determine how many qualified health plans are available in Hawaii, including plans offered by health maintenance organizations; the individual or group enrollment in these plans; and the actuarial cost of the defrayment to the State for the reimbursement of weight management medication; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report on its 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 Department of Health and Insurance Commissioner, who is requested to transmit copies to each insurer in the State that issues health insurance policies.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Department of Health; Social and Financial Impact Study; Insurance Coverage; Weight Management Medication