HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	135
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE LONG TERM CARE COMMISSION TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF INCREASING MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS TO HOSPITALS FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE WAITLISTED FOR LONG TERM CARE AND TO LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES TO ACCEPT WAITLISTED PATIENTS.

     WHEREAS, THE Legislature adopted S.C.R. No. 198 in 2007 to request the Healthcare Association of Hawaii to study the waitlist problem, and subsequently H.C.R. No. 53 in 2008 to continue the study; and

     WHEREAS, these concurrent resolutions address the problem of patients who have been treated in acute care hospitals and whose conditions have improved so that they may be transferred to long term care, but who remain in hospitals because the cost of caring for their needs exceeds the reimbursement; and

     WHEREAS, waitlisted patients represent a serious problem in Hawaii because it results in a diminished number of acute care beds that are available for those with serious illnesses or injuries and also high costs to hospitals; and

     WHEREAS, in response to the concurrent resolutions the Healthcare Association of Hawaii created the Waitlist Task Force, which studied relevant issues and submitted a report to the 2009 Legislature that included a recommendation to increase Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals for patients who are waitlisted for long term care, and also to long term care facilities to accept these patients; and

     WHEREAS, H.B. No. 706 S.B. No. 417 were introduced in the 2008 legislative session to implement that recommendation; and

     WHEREAS, long term care issues are now being considered comprehensively by the Long Term Care Commission that was created in 2008, when the Legislature passed Act 224, SLH 2008,which created the Commission to study the financing of long term care so that the needed infrastructure would be created;

now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the Long Term Care Commission is requested to consider increasing Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals for patients who are waitlisted for long term care and to long term care facilities to accept waitlisted patients; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Long Term Care Commission review the report by the Waitlist Task Force, along with H.B. No. 706 and S.B. No. 417 and the testimony submitted on those bills; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Long Term Care Commission submit a report of findings and recommendations that address Medicaid reimbursements for waitlisted patients no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2010; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Health, the Director of Human Services, and the Chair of the Long Term Care Commission.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

REQUESTING THE LONG TERM CARE COMMISSION TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF INCREASING MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS TO HOSPITALS FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE WAITLISTED FOR LONG TERM CARE AND TO LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES TO ACCEPT WAITLISTED PATIENTS