STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2563

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2087

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require health plans that provide coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment to limit out-of-pocket costs for cancer medications, including generic and nongeneric oral chemotherapy.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Medical Association, and American Cancer Society.

     Your Committee finds that oral anti-cancer medications can have high copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket costs.  Your Committee further finds that cancer patients are sometimes forced to make their treatment choice based on cost rather than efficacy.  This measure ensures that the costs associated with oral and intravenous chemotherapy procedures are affordable to cancer patients.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair