S.C.R. NO. 26 Summary

• Requests the State Auditor conduct a social and financial impact assessment of Senate Bill No. 2316, which would prohibit health insurers from requiring step therapy for patients with stage two through stage five cancer before covering FDA-approved drugs prescribed by their healthcare provider.

• Requires the Auditor's assessment to include analysis of federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) implications, number of qualified health plans available in Hawaii, enrollment figures, and actuarial costs to the State.

• Mandates the Auditor submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the 2025 Regular Session.

• Directs the Insurance Commissioner to distribute copies of this resolution to all health insurers in the State.

• Resolution addresses Hawaii's cancer burden, noting cancer as the second leading cause of death with approximately 7,393 annual invasive cancer diagnoses and 2,393 deaths, with significant disparities among Native Hawaiians and Filipino women.