Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 29, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request that the office of the auditor conduct a "sunrise" review of proposed legislation that would mandate health insurance coverage for the screening of prostate cancer.

Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Medical Service Association, American Cancer Society, and National Prostate Cancer Coalition testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has the worst prostate cancer screening record nationally, and that the number of men receiving screening has dropped more than 10 percentage points in recent years. A report by the state auditor would provide the legislature with valuable information that could be used for decision-making as to the access, affordability, and impact of mandated health insurance coverage for this procedure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 29, S.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.