STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1383
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: H.C.R. No. 36
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.C.R. No. 36, H.D. 1, entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO OFFER COVERAGE FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF PROSTATE CANCER IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND ACCEPTED PROSTATE CANCER EARLY DETECTION GUIDELINES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to improve detection and treatment of prostate cancer by requesting the Auditor to perform a study on the social and financial implications of requiring health insurers to offer coverage of medical procedures for the early detection of prostate cancer in accordance with nationally recognized and accepted prostate cancer early detection guidelines.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Kaiser Permanente, the American Cancer Society, and the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. The Hawaii Medical Service Association offered comments.
Your Committee finds that:
(1) Prostate cancer victims who do not benefit from early detection are among the nearly 100 men who die each year in Hawaii from the disease;
(2) The early detection of prostate cancer is vital to preventing its debilitating and deadly effects by beginning the appropriate treatment regimen at the earliest possible time, and thereby increasing the chances of a full recovery for those afflicted with the disease; and
(3) Section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, establishes that before any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies can be considered, a concurrent resolution, requesting the Auditor to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that assesses the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage, must be adopted by the Legislature.
Your Committee notes that this measure requests the Auditor to conduct and submit to the Legislature an impact assessment report of the social and financial impacts of mandating coverage for annual screening of prostate cancer in accordance with the prostate cancer early detection guidelines of certain health-related organizations, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 36, 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,
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____________________________ KENNETH HIRAKI, Chair |