STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2491

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2635

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2635 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COVERAGE FOR MAMMOGRAPHY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require insurers and mutual benefit societies to cover mandated services for mammography at least as favorably as coverage for other radiological examinations, beginning January 1, 2023.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that among the detrimental effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are delays in receiving routine health screenings and checkups, and in particular, mammography screening for women in the State. According to the Center for Disease Control, breast cancer screening declined by eighty-seven percent during April 2020 as compared with previous years. This is particularly problematic for women in the State, as women of Asian ancestry represent a sizable percentage of the population, and the ethnic group is the most likely to develop breast cancer before age fifty. To increase access to important health benefits for all women in the State, this measure requires existing mammography benefits under certain health insurance plans to be at least as favorable as coverage for other radiological exams.

Your Committee acknowledges the testimony from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, which proposed amendments for consistency with existing law. Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making conforming amendments; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 2635, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2635, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair