STAND. COM. REP. NO. 151-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1624

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1624 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for standard fertility preservation services for policies, contracts, plans, and agreements issued or renewed after December 31, 2024.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology; Association for Clinical Oncology; Advanced Reproductive Medicine & Gynecology of Hawaii, Inc., dba: Fertility Institute of Hawaii; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – Hawai‘i Section; Alliance for Fertility Preservation; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Hawaii Association of Health Plans; Hawaii Medical Service Association; and Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that many medical treatments that treat cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can significantly damage reproductive tissues and affect fertility in men and women. Your Committee further finds that fertility preservation has been considered part of the standard of care for age-eligible cancer patients for more than fifteen years, and is recognized by all relevant medical associations. However, many of these individuals are unable to afford the financial burden of fertility preservation, often leaving cancer survivors in their prime without the ability to start a family. Your Committee believes that requiring coverage of fertility preservation for patients whose diagnosis and treatment may adversely affect their fertility will reduce some of the long-term mental, emotional, and physical impacts of cancer on patients and their families.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1624, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1624, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair