STAND. COM. REP. NO. 503

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 753

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 753 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to develop a health plan that provides health insurance coverage to all residents of Hawaii.

     This measure attempts to accomplish this goal by establishing the Hawaii Health Authority to be responsible for overall health planning for the State and for determining future capacity needs of health providers, facilities, equipment, and support services providers.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the National Association of Social Workers Hawaii Chapter, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and four individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Department of Budget and Finance, Hawaii Medical Association, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

     Your Committee finds that nearly ten per cent of Hawaii's population is without health insurance.  Your Committee further finds that a single-payer or universal health care system will be a cost-effective method of delivering quality health care to all residents of Hawaii.

     However, your Committee finds that in order for this system to be effective and therefore successful, it needs to be comprehensively developed.

     Accordingly, you Committee amended this measure by removing the establishment of the Hawaii Health Authority because its functions are duplicative of the State Health Planning and Development Agency.

     Your Committee further amended this measure by making an appropriation for the continuation of the Hawaii health care task force created by Act 223, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, regarding the single-payer health care concept, for an additional two years.  The appropriations are to be expended by the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 753, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 753, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair