Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 884, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the Residential Alternative Community Care Program, the Hawaii Prepaid Medicaid Management Information System, and the Chore Services Program.

The Queen's Medical Center, Hawaii Coalition of Care Home Administrators, Eldercare Hawaii, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. DHS opposed this measure.

The Residential Alternative Community Care Program provides qualified individuals with placements in community-based residential facilities, including adult foster homes, adult residential care homes, and assisted-living facilities, as a less costly alternative to institutional care. These individuals are Medicaid-eligible adults who require nursing-facility-level care and are unable to benefit from in-home services because they have no caregiver or residence.

The federal government requires the State to process all Medicaid payments through a federally-approved claims system. Consequently, the State has implemented the Hawaii Prepaid Medicaid Management Information System to process Medicaid waiver claims.

The Chore Services Program provides essential housekeeping services to enable eligible disabled clients to remain living in the community. Clients employ their own service providers who are paid minimum wage.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 884, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 884, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.