STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2596

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2542

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     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 services for the uninsured.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Primary Care Association, West Hawaii Community Health Center, Inc., Hamakua Health Center, Inc., Kalihi-Palama Health Center, Waimanalo Health Center, Waikiki Health Center, and Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.  The Department of Human Services offered comments.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair