THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

385

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to cancer.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that after Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Act in 1990, which led to the creation of cancer screening programs in all fifty states, the Hawaii breast and cervical cancer control program was established in 1993.  To address the issue of treatment costs, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000, P.L. 106-354, provided states with the option to provide coverage for treatment costs to eligible women screened for and diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a state's breast and cervical cancer screening program.  As a result, the State established the breast and cervical cancer treatment program, administered by the department of human services med-QUEST division.

     The legislature finds that the department of health's breast and cervical cancer control program is the safety net for the most vulnerable women in the State.  Eligible women for the program face numerous barriers in their efforts to receive proper care, including socioeconomic status, language, literacy, and affordability of adequate health insurance.

     The legislature further finds that since 1997, the department of health's breast and cervical cancer control program has provided critical screening and early detection services to more than nine thousand five hundred women and diagnosed two hundred sixty-three invasive breast cancers and one hundred forty-eight cervical cancers and precancerous lesions.  While progress is being made, breast and cervical cancers continue to take the lives of nearly two hundred women in the State each year.

     The legislature further finds that federal funding for the program has declined over the last five-year grant period, while at the same time, the need for outreach and screening has increased.  Despite the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act providing more women with access to health insurance coverage and preventative cancer screenings and treatment, gaps still remain for women who continue to be uninsured or underinsured or lack access to culturally sensitive, appropriate health screening and care.  The program is able to screen only a fraction of women who are eligible for the program, and many women never receive the life-saving cancer screening.  According to the department of health, approximately $100,000 will allow the program to screen an additional one hundred twenty-five high-risk, uninsured or underinsured, rarely or never-screened women.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the department of health's breast and cervical cancer control program to continue its valuable breast and cervical cancer screening; diagnostic, education, and outreach services; and treatment referrals.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the breast and cervical cancer control program.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program; Department of Health; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to the department of health for the breast and cervical cancer control program.

 

 

 

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