STAND. COM. REP. NO.925-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: S.B. No. 2140
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2140 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESUMPTIVE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to provide presumptive eligibility for Medicaid or QUEST coverage to pregnant women for prenatal care and other medically indicated services.
The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter, MothersCare For Tomorrow's Children, Good Beginnings Alliance, Kokua Kalihi Valley, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Hawaii Kids Watch, Hawaii Council on a Substance Abuse Free Environment, Kokua Council, Blueprint for Change, Hawaii Nurses' Association, and several concerned individual testified in support of this measure. Hawaii Primary Care Association supported the intent of this measure.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) opposed this measure.
Your Committees believe that early and continuous prenatal care for pregnant women is the primary cost-effective method for preventing low birthweight in infants and poor birth outcomes. Having a low birthweight infant has been determined to be among the three most expensive hospital stays.
Pregnant women were presumed eligible for prenatal Medicaid care prior to the inception of the QUEST program in 1994. That presumption did not carry over to QUEST, which has caused lengthy processing delays under QUEST.
Your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Removing the requirement that applicants show proof of an annual income at or below the maximum allowable by federal law and under the section 1115 waiver;
(2) Removing the requirement that the applicant show proof of a pregnancy test or health care examination indicating pregnancy;
(3) Simplifying the presumptive eligibility requirement to applicants that are Medicaid eligible;
(4) Appropriating funds for DHS to hire additional eligibility workers and clerks for each island to manage the additional caseload; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for consistency and style.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2140, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2140, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health,
|
____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
____________________________ MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair |