CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 86-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    H.B. No. 2062

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to promote independence and choice for individuals eligible for Medicaid by allowing Medicaid funds to be transferred from a nursing facility or long-term care-based facility to home- or community-based long-term care, support, or services.

     Your Committee on Conference notes that the goal of this measure is to help Hawaii develop a "money follows the person" system that will allow individuals to have a variety of care options.  Many individuals prefer to be cared for in a home-based environment rather than in a hospital or other institutional setting, but Medicaid does not cover some aspects of home care.  For example, Medicaid pays for treatment but not the lodging costs associated with care homes.  Your Committee on Conference hopes that changes will be made at the federal level to allow Medicaid to cover such costs.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting provisions mandating the transfer of Medicaid funds by the Department of Human Services (DHS);

     (2)  Requiring DHS to apply to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow persons who are eligible to receive Medicaid funds for nursing-home care to remain at home to receive home- and community-based long-term care; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair	____________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co-Chair
	____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair