STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1777

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 33

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 33 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO RE-EVALUATE THE MEDICARE FORMULA FOR COMPUTING PAYMENTS TO DOCTORS OR TAKE OTHER MEASURES TO AVERT FUTURE REDUCTIONS IN PAYMENTS FOR SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the United States Congress to re‑evaluate the Medicare formula for computing payments to doctors or to take other measures to avert future reductions in payments for services.

     The Department of Human Services and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committees find that the United States Congress recently deferred a proposed cut of 5.1 per cent in Medicare spending for payments for services provided by doctors.  However, future payments are unlikely to keep pace with inflation and doctors may face even greater cuts in Medicare spending for payments for services next year.  This measure requests the United States Congress to re‑evaluate the Medicare formula for computing payments to doctors or to take other measures to avert future reductions in payments for services.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 33 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health,

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair