STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1417

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 172
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 172, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPICE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage the use of hospice
services in Hawaii.

     Specifically, this bill:

     (1)  Provides that a hospice home is a residential use of
          property that is not subject to conditional use,
          permit, variance, or special exceptions for a residence
          used as a hospice home;

     (2)  Defines "hospice home," "hospice service," and "hospice
          service agency";

     (3)  Requires all health insurers, mutual benefit societies,
          and health maintenance organizations to reimburse
          hospice care providers for insured members or
          subscribers for hospice care:

          (A)  A minimum daily rate as set by the Health Care
               Financing Administration for hospice care; and

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1417
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          (B)  An amount of $     per day for room and board
               expenses directly related to the hospice care
               being provided in excess of the rate in paragraph
               (A);
          and

     (4)  Provides that each hospice referral visit during which
          a patient is advised of hospice care options shall be
          considered a reimbursable benefit regardless of whether
          the referred patient is eventually admitted to hospice
          care.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
bill to:

     (1)  Add language to section 3 of the bill to set certain
          general parameters for licensing of hospice service
          agencies and allow the Director of Health to adopt
          rules; and

     (2)  Add a new section 4 to amend section 321-15.7, Hawaii
          Revised Statutes, to amend the term "hospice" to
          "hospice home" as defined in this bill in order to have
          the penalty provision apply to operating a hospice home
          without a license.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
172, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it
pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 172,
H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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