STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1525
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.C.R. No. 35
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 35 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR BIOMARKER TESTING,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to request
the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of mandatory health
insurance coverage for biomarker testing.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the State Health Planning and Development Agency; Alzheimer's Association-Hawaii;
Oncology Nursing Society; Hawai‘i Parkinson Association; Environmental
Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Liberty Dialysis Hawaiʻi; American Cancer Society Cancer Action
Network; a petition signed by over two hundred individuals; and nine
individuals.
Your Committee finds
that biomarker testing is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis, treatment,
appropriate management, and ongoing monitoring of diseases or conditions. Your Committee further finds that although
the Auditor previously assessed the social and financial effects of mandatory
health insurance coverage for biomarker testing, as proposed by House Bill No.
2223, H.D. 1, Regular Session of 2024 (HB 2223), the proposed coverage was only
for cases where biomarker testing was deemed medically necessary. Your Committee believes that, given the
diverse and beneficial ways biomarker tests may be used in clinical practice,
including disease screening tests and predictive tests, biomarker testing
should not be limited solely to cases of medical necessity. This measure therefore requests the
Auditor to conduct a statutorily required impact assessment report on the
social and financial effects of the mandated health insurance coverage for
biomarker testing as proposed by House Bill No. 553, Regular Session of 2025.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 35 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair |
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