STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2453

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2205

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2205, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to allow individual beneficiaries enrolled in a Hawaii Employer Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health benefits plan to opt out of any plan requirement to purchase prescriptions from a mail order pharmacy.

 

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from two concerned individuals.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

Your Committee finds that individual beneficiaries enrolled in a Hawaii Employer Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health benefits plan have recently been required by the plan to purchase prescription medications from mail order pharmacies.  A number of beneficiaries have experienced long delays, increased costs, and frustration over having to meet this requirement.  Your Committee finds that allowing beneficiaries to opt out of this requirement would permit those beneficiaries to use local retail pharmacies where they may purchase their medications without unnecessary delay and receive advice in person from a qualified pharmacist.  Your Committee acknowledges the cost-saving intent behind requiring beneficiaries to purchase prescription medications from mail-order pharmacies, but the Committee feels that savings should not come at the expense of beneficiaries' health or reliable customer service, especially when other in-state prescription provider options are available.

 

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2205, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2205, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair