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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
116 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE 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 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 198 in 2007 to request the Healthcare Association of Hawaii to study the long-term care waitlist problem, and subsequently House Concurrent Resolution 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 for long-term care, but who remain in hospitals where the cost of caring for their needs exceeds the reimbursement amounts; 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 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 and S.B. No. 417 were introduced in the 2009 Regular Session to implement the recommendations of the Waitlist Task Force; and
WHEREAS, long-term care issues are now being considered comprehensively by the Long Term Care Commission, which was created pursuant to Act 224, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, to study the financing of long-term care so that the needed infrastructure would be created; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate 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, Regular Session of 2009, and the testimony submitted on those measures; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Long Term Care Commission submit a report to the Senate of findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to address Medicaid reimbursements for waitlisted patients no later than twenty 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 Chairperson of the Long Term Care Commission.
Waitlisted Patients; Medicaid Reimbursements; Long Term Care Commission