STAND. COM. REP. NO. 584

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 430

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 430 entitled:

 

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

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide for the early detection of colorectal cancer by requiring health insurers to cover colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy every ten years, beginning at age fifty.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the American Cancer Society.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by Kaiser Permanente and Hawaii Medical Service Association.  Comments on this measure were submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Protection.

 

     Written testimony presented to your Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that the section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Auditor to conduct an impact assessment report, assessing the social and financial effects of measures that mandate health insurance coverage for specific diseases.  However, your Committees find that this is a money-saving, cost-effective measure.  The cost of mandating health insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy every ten years, beginning at age fifty, is negligible compared to the cost of treatment for colorectal cancer.

 

     Your Committees find that extensive studies have been conducted by the American Cancer Society regarding the cost of treating colorectal cancer.  When detected early, the average cost is between $30,000 and $35,000.  If detected late, the average cost is in excess of $100,000.  The cost for providing colorectal cancer screening is extremely low when compared to the cost of treatment.  The per member, per month cost of colonoscopy every ten years is 55 cents.

 

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that this mandate is exempt from section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, that requires an Auditor's impact assessment report; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 430, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 430, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair