STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3095

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 129

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 129 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT ON LEGISLATION MANDATING CERTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR OUTPATIENT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor 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 certain health insurance coverage for outpatient prescription drugs, as provided in S.B. No. 2106 (2012).

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and one individual.

     Your Committees find that outpatient medical therapy is critical to quality care, but that health insurance policies do not currently require insurers to cover outpatient prescription drugs nor impose coverage requirements on insurers that do provide prescription drug coverage.  Your Committees also find that all residents of Hawaii should have access to health care in all its facets, including affordable access to prescription drugs.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 129 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair