Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2512, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the public health nursing services special fund to provide case management for medically fragile children.

There is a critical need for comprehensive case management services for medically fragile children, like those with complex medical conditions such as ventilator care, tracheostomy care, catheterizations, parenteral nutrition, complex enteral feeding, and complex wound care. A public health nursing services special fund, supported by Medicaid reimbursements to the Department of Health, could supply these necessary services at substantial savings to the State. Due to a lack of certified case management agencies, public health nurses are already providing care for these cases. Moneys from the fund will be used for early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment case management for families of medically fragile children under the age of twenty-one. Your Committee finds that this is a much-needed service and an appropriate use of available resources.

Your Committee has amended the bill by making the amount of the appropriation blank to encourage further discussion.

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. 2512, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2512, S.D. 2.