STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1445-06
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2006
RE: H.C.R. No. 80
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2006
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 80 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ADOPT CHANGES TO THE MEDICARE PART D PROGRAM,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request that the President and Congress of the United States adopt changes to the Medicare Part D program to, among other things:
(1) Require drug plans to drop coverage of drugs only after advance notice;
(2) Standardize the formulary design;
(3) Make the Medicare Part D program drug registration policies consistent with those of Medicare and the Veteran's Administration; and
(4) Prevent unfair fines and penalties for seniors who fail to enroll in a timely manner as a result of being unable to navigate the complexities of this program.
The Hawaii Government Employees Association supported this concurrent resolution.
Your Committees find that the Medicare Part D program is extremely complex and difficult to understand. This creates undue stress and anxiety for those forced to choose medical care and drug plans from the numerous plans offered. The Medicare Part D program needs to be changed to offer clear, easy to understand solutions for those who must use it.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 80 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,
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____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair |
____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
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