STAND. COM. REP. NO. 711

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 818
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.B. No. 818, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require health insurance
coverage for annual mammogram screenings for women age forty and
over.

     The State Insurance Commissioner, the Department of Health,
and the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women presented
testimony in support of this measure.  The American Cancer
Society, while not present, submitted testimony in support.
Kaiser Permenente presented testimony that did not oppose the
measure.

     Your Committee finds that currently state law requires
health insurers to provide coverage for biennial screenings for
women between the ages of forty and forty-nine.  In contrast, the
American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that all women over
forty receive annual screenings.  Your Committee believes that,
in accordance with ACS recommendations, women over the age of
forty should have access to annual mammogram screenings to reduce
the risk of cancer.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to:


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 711
                                   Page 2


     (1)  Delete baseline coverage for women thirty-five to
          thirty-nine; and

     (2)  Delete the mandate that the commissioner review and
          make adjustments to age and frequency requirements; and

     (3)  Make technical amendments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 818, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto
as S.B. No. 818, S.D. 2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Commerce and
                                   Consumer Protection,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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