Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2468 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify language that permits mental health service providers to release records for billing purposes under limited circumstances while preserving a patient's right to confidentiality.

The Department of Health, Queen's Medical Center, and Healthcare Association of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the issue of permitting limited access to records for billing purposes was addressed in Act 204, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003. However, a flaw in the language resulted in delayed implementation, which this measure addresses.

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. 2468 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.