STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1137

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 25

       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 Commerce and Consumer Protection and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 25 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO PROVIDE PARITY OF COVERAGE FOR ORAL AND INTRAVENOUS CHEMOTHERAPY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Auditor assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers to provide parity of coverage for oral and intravenous chemotherapy.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the American Cancer Society, Hawaii Prostate Cancer Coalition, Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc., Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness Research and Training, Filipino American Citizens League, United Filipino Council of Hawaii, and Oahu Filipino Community Council.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that parity in coverage for oral and intravenous chemotherapy will give cancer patients and their doctors the option to tailor chemotherapy treatments to the needs of the individual patient.  Your Committees find that this measure will reduce both the monetary and the nonmonetary costs for patients, many of whom spend up to one week of every month either in the hospital or traveling to and from the hospital to receive intravenous chemotherapy treatment.  Finally, your Committees find that this measure will be especially beneficial to cancer patients who live in rural or underserved areas, who presently must travel to Honolulu in order to receive chemotherapy treatment.

 

     Your Committees note that while section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires an assessment by the Auditor of the social and financial effects of proposed coverage before insurance coverage of specific diseases or health services may be mandated, the Legislature retains the right to enact laws to protect the general health, safety, and welfare of the State and its residents.

 

     Your Committees further note that this measure is being advanced out of an abundance of caution because of the critical nature of this issue.  Although your Committees have previously advanced a similar measure, S.B. No. 166, which the House of Representatives has scheduled for hearing, your Committees find that parity in chemotherapy coverage is so important that it is appropriate for this measure to move forward even though it may be duplicative.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting the correct number of the Senate Bill to which this measure refers.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 25, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 25, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair