Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 118, S.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to establish a Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (Program) for individuals who are diagnosed by the Hawaii Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program and are:

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Department of Health, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Women Lawyers, Hawaii Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Fund Coalition, American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Liaison Program, Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology, Hawaii Medical Services Association, and concerned citizens testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services and Hawaii Primary Care Association supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committees find that Hawaii has one of the highest mortality rates in the nation for women with breast cancer. Moreover, this rate differs among the diverse ethnic groups in the State, with women of Hawaiian ancestry having a higher than average rate of new breast cancer cases.

Moreover, under federal law, Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants is prohibited for the first five years of their United States residency. Thus, many women in Hawaii who are legal immigrants are not able to take advantage of the Hawaii Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.

Also, many women in Hawaii do not have medical insurance or are not insured for cancer treatment. Although they may be able to receive free breast cancer screening through the breast cancer control program, many opt not to receive treatment to avoid financial and emotional hardship on their families.

Your Committees feel that it is unconscionable to have a diagnostic screening program for women but no means for treatment. Through early intervention and treatment, overall costs for care would diminish since women would not wait to seek treatment until the disease was more advanced.

Therefore, your Committees would like to emphasize that this is a very important measure and feel that it is imperative that this measure be passed for the overall health of Hawaii's women.

Your Committees, emphasizing their commitment to this issue, have amended the measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 118, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 118, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.