CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 133

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 917

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 917, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THIRD PARTY LIABILITY FOR MEDICAID,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure compliance with the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 by strengthening the State's ability to identify and obtain payments from first or third party payers that are legally responsible to pay for health care services received by Medicaid recipients, when these payers are primary to Medicaid.

     Your Committee finds that statutory loopholes currently allow some third party payers to avoid paying primary to Medicaid.  This measure is designed to enhance the Department of Human Services' ability to identify third party payers that are legally responsible to pay for health care services received by Medicaid recipients and obtain payments from such third party payers when appropriate.

     Your Committee, upon further consideration, has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 917, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 917, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair
____________________________ SCOTT NISHIMOTO, Co-Chair