STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3033
Honolulu, Hawaii
H.D. 2
S.D. 2
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fifth State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to maintain the level of services in programs administered by the Department of Human Services.
Specifically, this measure:
(1) Requires contracts between the Department of Human Services and managed-care organizations for the provision of medicaid benefits under QUEST plans to contain specific provisions relating to copayment limitations, prescription drug formularies, and medical necessity coverage;
(2) Requires QUEST, QUEST Expanded Access, and certain fee-for-service programs to provide for patients' continued access to certain antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications under certain circumstances;
(3) Allows the Department of Human Services to issue death benefits in an amount equal to the Social Security Administration's lump-sum death benefit for qualifying individuals; and
(4) Prohibits the Department of Human Services from expending moneys from the medicaid budget for purposes or programs that have not been specifically authorized by the Legislature.
Written comments presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.
Your Committee finds that the State's economic difficulties threaten the provision of human services under many state programs. Your Committee finds that, despite budget cuts and realignments, it is important to maintain the level of services that are provided to the neediest populations in the State. Your Committee further finds that it is equally important to ensure that moneys allocated for medicaid programs are used only for these programs and not diverted to non-medicaid programs.
Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,
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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair |
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