STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 0 3 2024
RE: S.C.R. No. 159
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 S.C.R. No. 159
entitled:
"SENATE 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, Infusion
Access Foundation, TXmerican Cancer Society Cancer Action Network,
Advanced Medical Technology Association, International Cancer
Advocacy Network, Alzheimer's Association-Hawaii, The Michael J.
Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Aimed Alliance, Debbie's
Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer, and two 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 chronic condition, allows
for a more precise and personalized approach to medical care. In
addition to being able to identify specific genetic, molecular, or
biochemical markers associated with an individual's disease.
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biomarker testing allows health care providers to tailor their
treatments to an individual's specific condition. However, your
Committees find that despite the many benefits of biomarker
testing, the lack of insurance coverage for comprehensive testing
creates a financial barrier for many patients who would otherwise
greatly benefit from these services.
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. 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 S.C.R. No. 159 and recommend
its adoption.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committees on Commerce and
Consumer Protection and Health
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 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawai‘i
Record of Votes
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection
CPN
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
3/2.2/2.^
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to: ______________________________________
The Recommendation is:
|_^ Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
KEOHOKALOLE, Jarrett (C)
FUKUNAGA, Carol (VC)
MCKELVEY, Angus L.K.
RICHARDS, III, Herbert M. “Tim”
AWA, Brenton
TOTAL
Recommendation:
Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature:
Distribution: Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Draftinq Aqency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/27/23
 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Health and Human Services
HHS
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
SCR IS^l CPN/HHS Q3l7.7./202.^
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to: ______________________________________
The Repommendation is:
Pass, unamended __ Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
SAN BUENAVENTURA, Joy A. (C)
AQUINO, Henry J.C. (VC)
KEOHOKALOLE, Jarrett
SHIMABUKURO. Maile S.L j
AWA. Brenton
TOTAL -------
Recommendation: X
Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature^^^^^^^^_______
Distribution; Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/27/23