STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2513

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3258

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 3258, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAID HOSPITAL AND LONG TERM CARE REIMBURSEMENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish reimbursement guidelines and provide appropriations for Medicaid hospital and long term care reimbursements.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the Hawaii Long Term Care Association, Hawaii Health System Corp. Oahu Regional Board, and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services. 

     Your Committees find that adjustment in Medicaid payments would improve the flow of patients from acute hospitals to long term care facilities, which would help to alleviate a waitlist backlog that hundreds of patients are currently facing. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments made by the Healthcare Association of Hawaii to amend the rate at which long term care facilities would be reimbursed, add a definition of "medically complex condition", add one appropriation amount of $6,500,000, and change the expending agency of both appropriation sections from the Department of Health to the Department of Human Services; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3258, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3258, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health,

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair