STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2310

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2087

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2087 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require health plans that provide coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment to establish limits on out-of-pocket costs for cancer medications, including nongeneric, oral chemotherapy.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaii Medical Association, HMSA, American Cancer Society, Hawaii Public Health Association, and three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Kaiser Permanente.  

 

Your Committee finds that the cost of cancer medications is a pressing issue, with the American Cancer Society estimating that one in five cancer patients use up all or most of their savings to pay for treatment.  Your Committee further finds that oral chemotherapy makes cancer treatment less burdensome in terms of the time and commute required for individuals, especially those who do not reside on Oahu, to receive treatment.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting language provided by Kaiser Permanente that:

 

     (1)  Specifies that the copayment percentage or relative coinsurance amount for oral chemotherapy drugs may be lower than the amount charged for intravenously administered chemotherapy;

 

     (2)  Specifies that generic oral chemotherapy drugs shall also be covered by individual and group hospital and medical service plan policies and contracts; and

 

     (3)  Makes technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2087, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair