STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2495

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2414

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2414 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure maximum effectiveness of health care programs in the State that alleviate discrepancies between the cost of living and health care costs in Hawaii.

     Specifically, this measure effectuates the recommendations of the Maui Health Initiative Task Force established pursuant to Act 219, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, by requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a study of the social and economic consequences of the Prepaid Health Care Act and state-funded health insurance programs, including Medicaid and Med-QUEST programs.

     Your Committees received testimony with comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau and the State Procurement Office.

     Your Committees find that, though the intent of this measure is worthy, the study required is very broad and beyond the resources available to the Legislative Reference Bureau.  Your Committees further find that limiting the scope to a compilation and analysis of existing studies of the various state-funded portions of Medicaid and Med-QUEST programs will be an attainable step towards addressing the complex issues of health care costs in Hawaii.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the requirement that the Legislative Reference Bureau conduct a study of the social and economic consequences of the Prepaid Health Care Act and state-funded health insurance programs, including Medicaid and Med-QUEST programs;

     (2)  Requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau to compile and analyze existing studies of the various state-funded portions of Medicaid-sponsored programs offered by the State pursuant to chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including Medicaid and Med-QUEST; and

     (3)  Requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any necessary proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2414, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2414, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair