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SCR162.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE - STUDY - Stating findings of the Legislature and
directing the Department of Insurance and the Department of Health and
Welfare to conduct studies concerning the status of women's health care in
Idaho.
03/10 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/13 Rpt prt - to 10th Ord
03/17 To St Aff
SCR162
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ||||
Fifty-fifth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2000
IN THE SENATE
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 162
BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE CONCERNING THE STATUS OF WOMEN'S HEALTH
3 CARE IN IDAHO AND DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE AND THE DEPARTMENT
4 OF HEALTH AND WELFARE TO CONDUCT STUDIES AND REPORT FINDINGS TO THE LEGIS-
5 LATURE.
6 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
7 WHEREAS, the state of Idaho values the health of its mothers, daughters,
8 grandmothers and sisters; and
9 WHEREAS, the state of Idaho recognizes the need to redress inequities in
10 research, health care services and education that may place the health of
11 women at risk; and
12 WHEREAS, women's reproductive health needs are a primary part of their
13 health concerns from preteen to midlife years; and
14 WHEREAS, of women who don't have insurance, nearly half receive inadequate
15 health care; and
16 WHEREAS, women pay on average sixty-eight percent more in out-of-pocket
17 health care costs than men; and
18 WHEREAS, the median number of women in Idaho who have not had a Pap smear
19 within three years is greater than the median number of women nationally, and
20 it is increasing; and
21 WHEREAS, most of Idaho is designated as "rural" and "frontier" and access
22 to certified rural health clinics for women is limited; and
23 WHEREAS, Idaho is designated as having health professional shortage areas,
24 and is forty-ninth in the nation for number of gynecologists per 1,000 women
25 in the state; and
26 WHEREAS, studies show that adequate prenatal health care is essential for
27 the birth of healthy babies; and
28 WHEREAS, the "Kids Count" found that Idaho's low birth weight rate has
29 been inching upwards, from 5.4 percent in 1992-94 to 6.0 percent in 1996-98,
30 and this is directly related to the rate of prenatal care which, during the
31 same period, climbed to a level of thirty percent of women who are without
32 adequate prenatal care; and
33 WHEREAS, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for
34 Idaho women, and the incidence of breast cancer increases with age; and
35 WHEREAS, screening and early detection is the best prevention method for
36 reducing cancer complications and costs; and
37 WHEREAS, by consolidating fragmented data, the state can efficiently
38 assess the data we have, identify gaps in data collections, and eliminate dis-
39 parities; and
40 WHEREAS, from the consolidated data, effective assessments can inform pro-
41 gram development and policy direction, and stimulate the development and
42 implementation of effective women's health policies at the highest levels of
43 state and local government.
44 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses-
2
1 sion of the Fifty-fifth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Repre-
2 sentatives concurring therein, that the Department of Insurance shall conduct
3 a survey to determine the level of reproductive health benefit coverage in
4 health insurance plans marketed in Idaho.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health and Welfare shall
6 contract an independent study of uninsured and underinsured Idaho women,
7 develop recommendations that foster collaboration and coordination of women's
8 reproductive health initiatives and activities throughout the Department of
9 Health and Welfare and assure that limited resources can be used most effi-
10 ciently. The study shall identify methods to promote access and important pub-
11 lic health goals such as preventing unintended pregnancies, preventing repro-
12 ductive cancers, promoting prenatal care, and preventing sexually transmitted
13 diseases. The department is authorized use up to $30,000 of federal Temporary
14 Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to contract the independent study.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the studies and reports commissioned by this
16 resolution shall be transmitted by the respective departments to the First
17 Regular Session of the Fifty-sixth Idaho Legislature.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS10280
The purpose of this legislation is to identify trends, gaps and disparities
among Idaho women in the healthcare system. The studies will provide critical
data for planning and implementation of effective women's health policies and
programs.
FISCAL NOTE
No impact to the general fund. Will use $30,000 of federal TF block grant money.
Contact:
Name: Senator John Sandy
Phone: 332-1305
Name: Senator Judi Danielson
Phone: 332-1307
Name: Senator Betsy Dunklin
Phone: 332-1356
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE SCR 162