STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3729

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2393

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2393, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TITLE 24, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to cover mandated services for mammography at least as favorably as coverage for other radiological examinations; and

(2) Amend the external review process under the state Patients' Bill of Rights and Responsibilities Act, to be based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Uniform Health Carrier External Review Model Act.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committee finds that while Hawaii has some of the best breast cancer screening rates in the country, data still shows that many women in the State are not being regularly screened. Your Committee further finds that inadequate health care coverage for mammography services may cause some women with breast cancer symptoms to delay care for many months, which is detrimental as breast cancer has a greater chance of being successfully treated if detected early. Therefore, this measure increases the accessibility to mammograms and diagnostic breast cancer services for women in Hawaii by establishing certain minimum coverage standards for mammography services that are provided by health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations under current insurance mandates. Further, this measure updates the external review process under the state Patients' Bill of Rights and Responsibilities Act, by which an enrollee may review a health plan's decision to deny coverage for or payment of a medical service, based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Uniform Health Carrier External Review Model Act.

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 H.B. No. 2393, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair