Public hearing postponed for expansion of breast cancer screening and imaging coverage

The Hawaiʻi Senate Committee on Health and Human Services deferred action today on a bill to improve health insurance coverage for women with an above-average risk for breast cancer. The committee rescheduled its hearing to 1 p.m. Jan. 29.

The aim of Senate Bill 189 is to reduce incidences of breast cancer and breast cancer-related deaths by mandating insurance coverage for early breast cancer screenings. The measure would expand coverage of breast cancer screening and imaging to include an annual mammogram for a woman of any age having an above-average risk for breast cancer, a risk-factor screening for women 30 years of age and older and additional supplemental imaging for any woman, regardless of age, as deemed medically necessary by an applicable American College of Radiology guideline.

The committee is chaired by Sen. Joy San Buenaventura and vice chaired by Sen. Henry Aquino. The agenda for the committee, which will hear other health-related bills, is available here with links for written public testimony and for online streaming on YouTube.

The bill has been introduced and has the backing of Sens. Aquino, Kurt Fevella, Stanley Chang, Samantha DeCorte, Mike Gabbard, Donna Mercado Kim, Brenton Awa, Carol Fukunaga and Sharon Moriwaki, all of Oʻahu.

Also set for hearing by the committee is Senate Bill 191. It would establish a Hawaiʻi low-income home energy assistance program within the Department of Human Services to help low-income households pay their energy bills. The measure would require the Public Utilities Commission to assess ratepayers a percentage fee to fund the program.

This bill was introduced by Sens. Fevella, DeCorte, Chang and San Buenaventura.