STAND. COM. REP. NO.  79-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2013

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2013 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CANCER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the most effective medical treatments are available to cancer patients by requiring insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for oral chemotherapy as a medical benefit rather than a drug benefit.

     The Hawaii Medical Association supported the intent of this bill.  The Hawaii Association of Health Plans opposed this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Medical Service Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2013, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2013, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair