STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2459

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2543

       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 Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2543 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health for the establishment or expansion of community-based dental health clinics that are operated by Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide a continuum of dental care to Medicaid and QUEST‑eligible adults and children, the developmentally disabled, and the uninsured.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Lutheran Medical Center; the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association; the Hawaii Dental Association; the Community Clinic of Maui; The ARC in Hawaii; the Hamakua Health Clinic; Molokai Ohana Health Care, Inc.; Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i; Waimanalo Health Center; Bay Clinic, Inc.; Kalihi-Palama Health Center; West Hawaii Community Health Center, Inc.; Life Foundation; and two individuals.  Testimony in opposition of the measure was submitted by the Department of Health.

     Your Committees find that poor dental care, or the lack of dental care, is a major health issue for the State, particularly affecting disadvantaged or low-income individuals, those with disabilities, and the uninsured.  The challenge to the State is to facilitate the receipt of proper dental care by such individuals in an appropriate and timely manner.  Currently, Federally Qualified Health Centers exist throughout the State to provide comprehensive primary health, oral, and mental health/substance abuse services to persons in all stages of the life cycle.  This measure appropriates funds for the establishment or expansion of community-based dental clinics to provide dental care for those individuals most in need, including QUEST and Medicaid fee-for-service eligible adults and children, individuals with developmental disabilities, and the uninsured.  Your Committees determine that this funding will greatly increase access to dental care to individuals in need and improve the health and well being of the residents of Hawaii.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive change for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2543, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2543, 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 Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair