STAND. COM. REP. NO.  268

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1478

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1478 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE PHARMACY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to extend the State Pharmacy Assistance Program (Program) income eligibility requirement to two hundred percent of the federal poverty level and provide those who are eligible for the Program with the greatest amount of drug coverage by:

     (1)  Requiring enrollees to maximize their benefits under the Medicare Part D program with the assistance of the Department of Human Services (DHS); and

     (2)  Authorizing Program funds to be expended on certain enrollee costs of coverage under Medicare Part D and on medication excluded from coverage under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

     AARP Hawaii and Hawaii Aging Advocates Coalition supported this bill.  The Hawaii Centers for Independent Living opposed this measure.  DHS submitted comments on this bill.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Repealing the provision requiring that a person be within the asset limits for eligibility in the State Pharmacy Assistance Program as defined by the Medicare Modernization Act; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1478, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1478, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing,

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair