STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3923

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 53

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 53 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR BIOMARKER TESTING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of mandatory health insurance coverage for biomarker testing.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii, American Lung Association Hawaiʻi, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, International Cancer Advocacy Network, Alzheimer's Association – Hawaii, and six individuals.

Your Committees find that biomarker testing, which is the analysis of a patient's tissue, blood, or other biospecimen for the presence of a gene, protein, or other substance that can provide information about a patient's disease or condition, allows for a more precise and personalized approach to medical care. As precision medicine becomes the standard of care in treatment for diseases like cancer, mental health, and autoimmune diseases, biomarker testing has risen in importance as the gateway to many of these therapies. However, your Committees find that despite the many benefits of biomarker testing, the lack of insurance coverage for comprehensive testing creates a financial obstacle for many patients who would otherwise benefit greatly from the testing.

Your Committees note that H.B. No. 2223, H.D. 1, Regular Session of 2024, proposes to require health insurers, mutual benefit societies, health maintenance organizations, and health plans under the State's Medicaid managed care program to provide coverage for biomarker testing, beginning on January 1, 2025. Section 23—51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires new measures mandating health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, to be referred, via concurrent resolution, to the Auditor for analysis. Section 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, specifies the minimum information required for assessing the social and financial impact of the proposed health insurance coverage mandate in the Auditor's report. Accordingly, this measure requests the Auditor to analyze the proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for biomarker testing in accordance with sections 23—51 and 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 53, and recommend its adoption.

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

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair