STAND. COM. REP. NO.  237-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1672

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1672 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize a beneficiary of a prescription drug benefit plan to obtain a prescription without penalty from a non-network retail community pharmacy located within ten miles of the beneficiary's residence, if the nearest network retail community pharmacy is located over ten miles away.

 

     The Queen's Health Systems and some individuals provided testimony in support of the measure.  The Hawaii Medical Service Association provided testimony in opposition.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, University of Hawaii System, CVS Health, and Express Scripts provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Blanking out the distances that determine whether a beneficiary can obtain a prescription from any retail community pharmacy without penalty; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2070, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1672, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1672, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair