STAND. COM. REP. NO. 409

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1317

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1317, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAID,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the Department of Human Services (DHS) from taking any action or expending state resources in any effort to remove prescription drug benefits from managed care plans that provide health care coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Testimony in support of this bill was received from Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans. DHS and the Department of Health testified in opposition to this bill. Aloha Care commented on the bill.

Your Committee finds that the removal of prescription drugs from Medicaid programs would result in a fragmented health care delivery system and disruption in the care of individuals in need of prescription drugs. While DHS has indicated that "carving out" prescription drugs from Medicaid programs would result in cost-savings to the State, your Committee is concerned that individuals would be left without prescription drug coverage.

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1317, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

KENNETH HIRAKI, Chair