STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1153

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 166

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 166, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the most effective methods for treatment of cancer are available to people with limited economic means by requiring health insurance providers that offer coverage for cancer treatment to provide health insurance coverage for all chemotherapy treatment, including orally administered chemotherapy, under the same terms and conditions and at a rate calculated according to the same methods as payment or reimbursement for intravenously administered chemotherapy.

     The Representative of District 38, American Cancer Society, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of this measure.  Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and Hawaii Association of Health Plans opposed this bill.  Hawaii Medical Service Association and American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Providing an exemption for limited benefit health insurance policies;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     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 S.B. No. 166, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 166, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair