STAND. COM. REP. NO. 217________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 847
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 847
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR
     FELIX CLASS CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of
Health (DOH) to:

     (1)  Develop service definitions for mental health services
          provided to members of the Felix v. Cayetano consent
          decree (Felix) class that correspond to Medicaid
          definitions of similar covered services; and

     (2)  Develop a fee schedule and billing codes comparable to
          those used for Medicaid and QUEST purposes.

     The DOH testified in support of the intent of the bill, but
opposed the recommendations that will affect the delivery of
services to Felix children.

     Your Committee finds that principles of fairness require the
establishment of a system that calls for equity among programs
that are funding the services provided to members of the Felix
class.

 
 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 217________
                                 Page 2

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Delaying the implementation date of the definitions,
          billing codes, and fee schedule by one year, to August
          31, 2000;

     (2)  Delaying the report to the Legislature by one year,
          requiring its delivery no later than twenty days before
          the convening of the regular session of 2001; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
          purpose of style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
847, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 847, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Education.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair