STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3431

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 73
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 73, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES
     CONGRESS TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO EXTEND MEDICARE COVERAGE
     TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the United States
Congress to support legislation to extend Medicare benefits to
include prescription drug coverage for the elderly and disabled.

     Your Committee finds that most federally funded health care
programs, including Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration,
the Public Health Service, and the Indian Health Service, obtain
prescription drugs for their beneficiaries at low prices.
Medicare beneficiaries, however, are denied this benefit and
cannot obtain their prescription drugs at the favorable prices
available to other federally funded health care programs.  Unlike
other states, Hawaii does not have a state funded program,
separate from Medicare, to assist elderly and disabled
individuals to purchase prescription drugs.

     Because of high costs, more than one in eight older
Americans are forced to choose between buying their food and
buying their medicines.  Substantially lowering the costs of
prescription drugs for older Americans, who represent some of the

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3431
                                   Page 2


most vulnerable individuals in our nation, will substantially
improve the health and well-being of older Americans and lower
the costs to the federal taxpayer of the Medicare program.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 73,
S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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