Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3134, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand access to skilled nursing placement for dialysis patients.

More specifically, this measure requires the Department of Human Services to establish cost reports for payments to long-term care providers for dialysis patients and appropriates funds for reimbursements to skilled nursing services for dialysis patients.

Your Committee finds that long-term care facilities typically limit admissions to one or two patients who require dialysis due to lack of sufficient reimbursement. These patients usually require care that is far beyond that of average skilled nursing level patients. The additional costs are not covered by current reimbursement formulas. This measure will assist in covering the additional costs of necessary services.

Your Committee also finds that the measure provides for its own repeal upon the implementation of the equity based reimbursement methodology for long-term care nursing services that is required under section 346D-1.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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 S.B. No. 3134, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3134, S.D. 2.