03/28/1996 08:50 AM Senate FIN

                                                                               
       SENATE BILL NO. 253                                                     
       "An Act  relating to  insurance coverage  for costs  of                 
  prostate  cancer detection."                                                 
                                                                               
  Senator  Jim Duncan  was invited  to join the  committee and                 
  briefly spoke on behalf of the bill.                                         
                                                                               
  Carole  Edwards,  certified oncology  nurse, was  invited to                 
  join the committee  and testified  on behalf of  the bill.                   
  Prostate cancer is the second leading  cause of death in the                 
  United  States  for men.   Hereditary  does  play a  part in                 
  prostate  cancer.   Currently,  the American  Cancer Society                 
  guidelines  recommend  men over  the  age of  fifty  have an                 
  annual digital rectal  exam along with a  prostate screening                 
  antigen  test.    This  is   a  simple  blood  draw  costing                 
  approximately $60.   However, this  is not paid  for by  the                 
  insurance  companies, even  high  risk men.     The American                 
  Cancer  Society also recommends doing this test on high risk                 
  men at age forty.                                                            
                                                                               
  (tape change to SFC-96 #58, Side 1                                           
                                                                               
  She said she supported  this bill because she would  like to                 
  see less of  her patients die or  undergo extensive therapy.                 
  The sooner this cancer is found the easier it is to cure and                 
  there is a higher  success rate.  It is  also less expensive                 
  to treat an earlier found cancer as opposed to a later found                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  one.  Insurance companies should pay  for this test for men.                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Senator Rieger said he had information that the same problem                 
  existed for women  as far  as pap smear  test.  Ms.  Edwards                 
  said as  far as she was aware pap  smear tests were paid for                 
  by insurance.  She further believed that more lives would be                 
  saved if  American Cancer  Society guidelines were  followed                 
  and  the PAS test was  covered by insurance  to make it more                 
  available to all society.                                                    
                                                                               
  Mr. Gene Dau,  AARP, VFW was  invited to join the  committee                 
  and  testified on behalf of the  bill.  He felt there should                 
  be more  encouragement for the screening of this disease and                 
  said it should be part of an annual check-up.  He  urged the                 
  committee to pass this bill.                                                 
                                                                               
  Janet  Parker, Deputy  Director,  Division of  Retirement  &                 
  Benefits was invited  to join the  committee.  She  answered                 
  questions for the committee regarding  the fiscal notes.  In                 
  response to Senator  Rieger's question  regarding pap  smear                 
  exams, she said  the active plan  covered this exam but  the                 
  retiree plan did not.   She said that although the  PAS exam                 
  would cost the  plan money  it was believe  that the  entire                 
  cost would be borne by the employees themselves because this                 
  exam is  performed during a  routine physical which  is only                 
  provided for state employees under SBS option one plan which                 
  the employee pays for.  The  revised fiscal note can reflect                 
  that.                                                                        
                                                                               
  Senator  Sharp  asked if  this  bill would  cover  PAS under                 
  retirement and Ms. Parker  advised that it would because  it                 
  would be  a state  law mandating  coverage.   Senator Duncan                 
  said that regarding the fiscal note  what is missing is what                 
  the long-term savings would be.  If cancer is detected early                 
  there is  a substantial  long-term savings.   Senator  Frank                 
  asked how the state decided this  coverage.  Ms. Parker said                 
  there is  no financial analysis  done.  Health  benefits are                 
  collectively bargained and whoever is on the bargaining team                 
  and has a preference for a specific type  of coverage is how                 
  this is  handled.   Co-chairman Halford  indicated the  high                 
  cost of just drugs  for one who has been  diagnosed with the                 
  disease.                                                                     
                                                                               
  Senator Duncan referred  to amendment #1  and said it had  a                 
  better definition as to when this test should be covered and                 
  under what circumstances.  This is supported by the American                 
  Cancer Society.  It defines the specific age group and asked                 
  the committee to consider it as an amendment to the bill.                    
                                                                               
  Mr. Bill Chism was invited to join the committee.  His first                 
  two PAS exams  were covered by  Aetna Insurance but then  he                 
  was  advised that this was  not a proper  exam and that they                 
  had made a mistake covering the  last two exams.  Mr.  Chism                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  said that he felt if his dentist  exam was covered then this                 
  exam  should be  considered to be  paid for.   It is  not an                 
  undue burden on the  insurance companies to cover this.   He                 
  said he supported this bill.                                                 
                                                                               
  Senator Duncan referred  to the pap  smear exam and said  he                 
  had not problem with  his bill being expanded to  also cover                 
  this.    Senator  Sharp  offered  amendment #1  and  without                 
  objection it was adopted.                                                    
                                                                               
  Co-chairman Halford  held the  bill in  committee and  asked                 
  Senator Rieger to further check cancer screening.