STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1562

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 325

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 325, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to expand coverage under the State's medicaid and QUEST programs to include comprehensive dental care for adults and appropriates funds to provide the additional coverage.

     Furthermore, this measure appropriates funds for hospital dentistry for the developmentally disabled in the county of Hawaii.  This measure also establishes a task force under the Department of Human Services to assist in developing ways to recruit and retain dental care practitioners to provide the expanded coverage under the State's medicaid and QUEST programs.

     Your Committee received comments in support of the measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Disability and Communication Access Board, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Institute on Disability Culture, Full Life, the Mobile Care Health Project, Ho‘ola Lahui Hawaii, the Hawaii Island Dental Task Force, a case manager with the Department of Health, and several concerned citizens.  Comments were received from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that dental care has been identified as one of the major health concerns for people with developmental disabilities.  They have faced great challenges in accessing dental care services in an appropriate and timely manner.  Clearly, it is vital to the health of participants who are medicaid and QUEST eligible that comprehensive dental care services become available.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation for hospital dentistry in the county of Hawaii into a pilot program with appropriations, to take place in the county of Hawaii.  Under the program, the Department of Health is required to gather information on hospital dentistry for the developmentally disabled community in the county of Hawaii in order to determine usage, feasibility, and costs issues for application on a statewide basis.  The Department is then required to submit a report to the Legislature.  Your Committee also made technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 325, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 325, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair