STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2398

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2343

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2343, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR MAMMOGRAMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit an insurer from requiring a doctor's referral for annual mammograms for covered individuals over forty years old.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, the Hawaii Women's Coalition, and three individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that women over forty years of age are at an increased risk for breast cancer.  Your Committee further finds that no-referral annual mammograms for covered women over forty will increase the likelihood of early detection of breast cancer which will increase the chances of survival for women diagnosed with this disease.

 

     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. 2343, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair