Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 30, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide equal access to prescription drugs for all types of medicaid recipients who have human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis, or who are patients needing transplant immunosuppressives by deleting the QUEST medical plan exemption from the medicaid preauthorization exemption requirements.

The majority of medicaid recipients are in QUEST medical plans. Medicaid recipients in a fee for service plan receive medications without restriction when prescribed by a physician, while recipients in the QUEST medical plans are subject to prior authorization or step therapy procedures for the same medications.

Your Committee finds that it is important to exempt physicians from having to obtain preauthorization prior to dispensing prescription immunosuppressant medications to all medicaid recipients because treatment may require changes to these prescriptions in order to find the best medication for the patient. Your Committee believes that this measure will bring equity to medicaid recipients in their access to prescription drugs.

Upon consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 30, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 30, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.