REPORT TITLE:
Developmental Disabilities


DESCRIPTION:
Makes an appropriation to match federal funds for medicaid for
home and community based care for persons with developmental
disabilities.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2040
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. 


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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that individuals with
 
 2 developmental disabilities (individuals) require life long
 
 3 support and services.  The best treatment for these individuals
 
 4 is to be independent, productive, integrated, and included in the
 
 5 community.  Act 189, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995, was intended to
 
 6 provide services in the community for individuals who were
 
 7 residing at Waimano Training School and Hospital by mandating
 
 8 that all programs and services for them be provided for in the
 
 9 community.  Act 189 also required the department of health to
 
10 maximize state funds for community services, using these funds as
 
11 a match for title XIX federal programs, other governmental
 
12 programs, and privately financed programs.
 
13      The legislature further finds that a medicaid waiver program
 
14 under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act was designed to
 
15 allow states to provide long-term care, support, and services in
 
16 the community by using at least fifty per cent of federal dollars
 
17 for individuals who would otherwise be institutionalized.  The
 
18 medicaid and community-based services waiver program provides an
 
19 array of services such as adult day health, personal assistance,
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2040
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 environmental accessibility adaptations, habilitation, supported
 
 2 employment, respite care, skilled nursing, and specialized
 
 3 services designed to support the individual's right to live in
 
 4 the community.
 
 5      The departments of health and human services implemented a
 
 6 home and community-based services waiver program in 1983.  There
 
 7 are 1,200 individuals who are eligible for the home and
 
 8 community-based services waiver program.  The State has submitted 
 
 9 an application to the United States Health Care Financing
 
10 Administration to serve 1,200 individuals by fiscal year 2001.
 
11 The program presently serves approximately 970 individuals.
 
12 There are over 700 individuals who are on a waitlist and need
 
13 services and support to enable them to live in the community.
 
14 The number of individuals on the wait list continues to grow.
 
15      The legislature further finds that the home and community-
 
16 based waiver program impacts on the economic well-being of the
 
17 State due to the labor intensive nature of the program.
 
18 Increased funding for the program will significantly increase the
 
19 number of individuals to be employed in the program, which will
 
20 be helped by using matching federal dollars.
 
21      The legislature is concerned that recent statistics indicate
 
22 that Hawaii ranks 47th in its level of funding for community
 
23 services, and 50th in its total funding effort for mental
 

 
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 1 retardation and developmental disabilities services.
 
 2 Furthermore, the home and community-based services waiver program
 
 3 is underfunded, which causes the State to use state dollars
 
 4 inefficiently and to miss the opportunity to maximize federal
 
 5 dollars.
 
 6      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate state funds as
 
 7 matching federal funds in order to serve individuals with
 
 8 developmental disabilities including individuals on the statewide
 
 9 wait list in fiscal year 2000 in the title XIX medicaid home and
 
10 community-based services waiver program.
 
11      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
12 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so
 
13 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, to
 
14 serve as the State's share of matching federal title XIX medicaid
 
15 funds for individuals with developmental disabilities who are
 
16 eligible for the home and community-based services program under
 
17 medicaid.
 
18      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated by this Act shall be
 
19 expended by the department of health for the purposes of this
 
20 Act.
 
21      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
22 
 
23                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________