STAND. COM. REP. NO.3105

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.C.R. No. 140

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 140 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE STATE IS RECEIVING A PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the Legislative Reference Bureau conduct a study to determine whether the State of Hawaii is receiving a proportionate share of Medicare reimbursements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from a Maui County Council member.

Your Committee finds that the State of Hawaii may not be receiving up to $30 million annually in federal Medicare money claims because the State is not going after reimbursements aggressively enough. If the State of Hawaii were to aggressively pursue Medicare reimbursements on appeal, the State could receive a larger share of federal Medicare moneys to offset the costs of providing care to elderly citizens who qualify for both state-funded Medicaid and Medicare.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 140 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair