STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1723

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 141

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 141 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO INCREASE THE MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that quality health care is available to the residents of this State by requesting the United States Congress to increase the Medicare reimbursement rates for Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii Medical Association, and the Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

     Your Committees find that Medicare reimbursement rates are not keeping pace with the overall costs of providing health care in this State.  Insufficient reimbursements will result in needed services being reduced or not developed at all. Your Committees further find that this financial plight of health care providers has recently been underscored by the financial collapse of Kahuku Hospital.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 141 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair