REPORT TITLE:
HHSC; long-term care


DESCRIPTION:
Requires the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to submit a
strategic plan to the Legislature prior to eliminating long-term
care beds from any of its facilities.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2393
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the need for long-
 
 2 term care, which is already significant, will continue to grow as
 
 3 Hawaii's population ages.  In 1998, there were two hundred one
 
 4 thousand persons aged sixty and over in Hawaii.  Between 1990 and
 
 5 2010, the sixty and over age group is projected to grow by
 
 6 seventy-two per cent to over two hundred ninety-nine thousand
 
 7 individuals, or one in every five persons.  The eighty-five and
 
 8 older age group will grow by two hundred eighty-six per cent to
 
 9 forty thousand one hundred twenty persons.  In contrast, the
 
10 total population will increase only by twenty-nine per cent
 
11 during the same period.
 
12      The most rapid increase is expected between the years 2010-
 
13 2030 when the baby boomer generation, those born between 1946 and
 
14 1964, reaches age sixty-five.  By 2020, one in every four Hawaii
 
15 residents will be sixty years and older.  Hawaii's eighty-five
 
16 and over age group is estimated to increase by three hundred
 
17 ninety-five per cent according to the State's projection.
 
18      The legislature further finds that 1997 state health
 
19 planning and development agency survey data indicated that there
 
20 were three thousand nine hundred fifty staffed long-term care
 

 
Page 2                                                     2393
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 beds in Hawaii, of which the Hawaii health systems corporation
 
 2 reported having a total of six hundred twenty seven.  Currently,
 
 3 the Hawaii health systems corporation reports having a total of
 
 4 seven hundred thirty-eight long-term care beds statewide.  Kauai
 
 5 has a total of eighty-six beds distributed between Samuel
 
 6 Mahelona Hospital (sixty-six beds) and Kauai Veterans Memorial
 
 7 Hospital (twenty beds).  Kula Hospital (one hundred seven beds)
 
 8 is the only hospital on Maui under the Hawaii health systems
 
 9 corporation with long-term care beds, and Lanai Community
 
10 Hospital has ten long-term care beds.  On the island of Hawaii, a
 
11 total of two hundred fourteen beds can be found between its five
 
12 hospitals: Hale Hoola Hamakua (forty-eight beds), Hilo Medical
 
13 Center (one hundred eight beds), Kau Hospital (sixteen beds),
 
14 Kohala Hospital (twenty beds), and Kona Community (twenty-two
 
15 beds).  On Oahu, Leahi Hospital has a total of one hundred sixty-
 
16 three beds, while Maluhia Hospital has a total of one hundred
 
17 fifty-eight beds.
 
18      With an increasing elderly population, the demand for long-
 
19 term care beds have increased.  However, the legislature finds
 
20 that the Hawaii health systems corporation is rumored to be
 
21 reducing or eliminating its long-term care beds in a plan to move
 
22 patients from institutionalism to home- and community-based care.
 
23 To do so would be to jeopardize Hawaii's long-term care bed
 
24 supply.  
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The purpose of this Act is to require the Hawaii health
 
 2 systems corporation to submit a strategic plan to the legislature
 
 3 prior to eliminating long-term care beds from any of its
 
 4 facilities.
 
 5      SECTION 2.  Chapter 323F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 6 amended by adding a new section to part III to be appropriately
 
 7 designated and to read as follows:
 
 8      "§323F-    Long-term care beds.  The corporation shall not
 
 9 eliminate any long-term care beds from any of its facilities;
 
10 provided that twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
 
11 session that the elimination is to be proposed, the Hawaii health
 
12 systems corporation shall submit to the legislature a detailed
 
13 strategic plan to include the following:
 
14      (1)  An assessment of the existing and projected needs for
 
15           long-term care beds in the State in the next three,
 
16           five, ten, and twenty years;
 
17      (2)  An assessment of the economic viability of the private
 
18           sector to accommodate those needs;
 
19      (3)  An assessment of the impact of the proposed elimination
 
20           of the facility's long-term care beds;
 
21      (4)  An assessment of the long-term financial implications
 
22           of transferring the patients to other hospitals or
 
23           existing facilities;
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (5)  An assessment of the ability of the corporation to
 
 2           place their existing patients in comparable private
 
 3           facilities;
 
 4      (6)  An assessment of the capacity of Hawaii's public and
 
 5           private long-term care delivery systems to accommodate
 
 6           not only the exiting demands for services, but also the
 
 7           projected demand based on the demographics of Hawaii;
 
 8           and
 
 9      (7)  An assessment of the prospects of developing
 
10           alternative delivery systems that maximize the use of
 
11           elder home care health services and other support
 
12           services designed to extend physical and financial
 
13           independence in existing residential settings."
 
14      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
16 
 
17                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________