CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 159-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 2542

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH,"

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 measure is to ensure that the community health center system remains financially viable and stable in the face of the increasing needs of the population of uninsured and underinsured residents.

     Specifically, this measure establishes a process that enables community health centers and rural health clinics to receive supplemental Medicaid payments and seek modifications to their scope of services.  In addition, this measure appropriates funds to adequately pay federally qualified community health centers for direct medical care services for the uninsured.

     Your Committee finds that federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics are essential components of Hawaii's health care system.  Two of the most important sources of operating revenues for these community health centers are the Med-QUEST program and subsidies for care for the uninsured.  These revenue sources continue to provide inadequate funding and reimbursements that are more than a year overdue, causing the much needed community health centers to be financially unstable and putting the public's health at risk.

     Your Committee upon further consideration has made the following amendments to S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 2, H.D. 2:

     (1)  Inserted $1,000,000 as the amount appropriated for direct medical care to the uninsured;

     (2)  Inserted a July 1, 2008 effective date; and

     (3)  Made technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of 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 S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

_______________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair
____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Co-Chair	______________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Co-Chair
____________________________ JOHN MIZUNO, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair