STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3675

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 239

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 239, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU AND THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO CONDUCT STUDIES ON THE POTENTIAL FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS TO THE STATE AND THE STATE'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM OF PROVIDING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AT ALL FIVE STAGES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to study the financial and economic impact of chronic kidney disease in Hawaii.

     Specifically, this measure requests the Legislative Reference Bureau and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to conduct studies on the potential financial and economic impact of all five stages of chronic kidney disease to the State and the State's healthcare system.  In addition, the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii chapter of the National Kidney Foundation, and St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii are requested to assist with this study.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

     Your Committee finds that ten percent of Hawaii's population has some form of chronic kidney disease and two percent of these patients have end stage renal disease which require dialysis or kidney transplantation.  The percentage of Hawaii's population with end stage renal disease is higher than the rest of the country and the number of these patients is also increasing at a higher rate than the rest of the country.

     Your Committee further finds that the current costs for caring for end stage renal disease patients in Hawaii is $125,000,000 and that cost is projected to reach $144,000,000 by 2011. 

     Your Committee believes that this study will help to assess the financial and economic impact of chronic kidney disease to the State's economy and State's healthcare system and provide solutions toward preventing and treating this disease in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 239, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair