THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

25

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the auditor to assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers to provide parity of coverage for oral and intravenous chemotherapy.

 

 


     WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 565,650 people in the United States, including over 2,260 people in Hawaii, died of some form of cancer in 2008; and

 

     WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society also reports that approximately 1,437,180 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2008, including approximately 6,310 new cases in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, advances in cancer treatment have led to the availability of oral chemotherapy drugs to treat certain types of cancers including breast cancer, colon and colorectal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, lung cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and brain tumor; and

 

     WHEREAS, oral chemotherapy, which allows a patient to take cancer-fighting drugs by mouth in the form of a pill, capsule, or liquid, may be more effective at fighting certain types of cancer and may cause fewer negative side effects in some patients than traditional intravenous chemotherapy; and

 

     WHEREAS, oral chemotherapy drugs do not require administration in a clinical setting and, therefore, allow a patient to maintain a greater degree of normalcy and independence during treatment than traditional intravenous chemotherapy; and

 

     WHEREAS, oral chemotherapy may be more cost-efficient for many patients than traditional intravenous chemotherapy since oral chemotherapy does not require each dose to be administered by medical personnel in a clinical setting; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is important to ensure that health insurance providers cover all forms of necessary and effective treatment for cancer patients in this State; and

 

     WHEREAS, section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that "[b]efore any legislative  measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, can be considered, there shall be concurrent resolutions passed requesting the auditor to prepare and submit to the legislature a report that assesses both the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage"; and

 

     WHEREAS, section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, further provides that "[t]he concurrent resolutions shall designate a specific legislative bill that:

     (1)  Has been introduced in the legislature; and

     (2)  Includes, at minimum, information identifying the:

(A)  Specific health service, disease, or provider that would be covered;

(B)  Extent of the coverage;

(C)  Target groups that would be covered;

(D)  Limits on utilization, if any; and

(E)  Standards of care.

For purposes of this part, mandated health insurance coverage shall not include mandated optionals"; and

 

     WHEREAS, section 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, further specifies the minimum information required for assessing the social and financial impact of the proposed health coverage mandate in the Auditor's report; and

 

     WHEREAS, S.B. No.    (2009) mandates parity of coverage for oral and intravenous chemotherapy for all individual and group accident and health or sickness insurance policies that include coverage for the treatment of cancer, effective July 1, 2009; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature believes that parity of coverage for oral and intravenous chemotherapy, as provided in S.B. No.     (2009), will substantially reduce illness and assist in the maintenance of good health for the people of this State; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Auditor is requested to conduct an impact assessment report, pursuant to sections 23-51 and 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, of the social and financial impacts of mandating parity of coverage for oral and intravenous chemotherapy for all individual and group accident and health or sickness insurance policies that include coverage or benefits for the treatment of cancer, effective as of July 1, 2009 as provided in S.B. No.     (2009); and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature, including any necessary implementing legislation, not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor and to the Insurance Commissioner, who, in turn, is requested to transmit copies to each insurer in the State that issues health insurance policies.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Chemotherapy, Health