STAND. COM. REP. NO. 853

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1673

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1673 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide equal access to immunosuppressant medication for Medicaid patients with HIV, AIDS, or Hepatitis C, or who require immunosuppressives due to organ transplants, regardless of whether they are in the QUEST or Medicaid Fee-For-Service programs.

     The Department of Human Services, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the American Liver Foundation, the Hepatitis Support Network of Hawaii, and one individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Association of Health Plans submitted testimony in opposition.  The Hawaii Medical Service Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that while the current law exempts physicians prescribing immunosuppressant medication from preauthorization procedures under Medicaid, an exclusion pertaining to QUEST medical plans restricts QUEST Medicaid recipients' access to immunosuppressant medication.  This measure will provide equal access to immunosuppressant medication for Medicaid patients with HIV, AIDS, or Hepatitis C, or who require immunosuppressives due to organ transplants, regardless of whether they are in the QUEST or Medicaid Fee-For-Service programs.

     It is your Committee's intent to support equal access to immunosuppressant medication for this population of QUEST Medicaid recipients.  Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1673, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1673, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair