STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2059

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2205

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2205 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow individual beneficiaries enrolled in a Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health benefits plan to opt out of any requirement to purchase prescriptions by mail order.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by three individuals.  Comments on this measure were submitted by one individual.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that individual beneficiaries enrolled in a Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health benefits plan have experienced long delays, increased costs, and frustration with being required to receive their prescriptions by mail order.  Your Committee also finds that allowing the option for individual beneficiaries to purchase prescriptions from local retail pharmacies will benefit the severely ill in Hawaii by providing them with timely treatment.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2205, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2205, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair