HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE

INTERIM OF 2010

COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Rep. John M. Mizuno, Chair

Rep. Tom Brower, Vice Chair

Rep. Della Au Belatti	Rep. Maile S.L. Shimabukuro
Rep. Joe Bertram, III	Rep. Ryan I. Yamane
Rep. Mele Carroll	Rep. Gene Ward
Rep. Scott Y. Nishimoto

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

DATE:	Thursday, January 07, 2010
TIME:	12:00 noon
PLACE:	Conference Room 309 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street

A G E N D A

The purpose of the informational briefing will be to review possible cost savings for programs and services under the Department of Human Services.  The stakeholders will share their thoughts on ways to reduce duplication of service, thereby reducing costs, while maintaining quality, and making services more efficient for community members being served under DHS programs.

Recently, a health plan sent notice of a reduction in reimbursement for case management services from $16.25 per day to $8.50 per day per client for members residing on Oahu and $11 per day for members residing on the neighbor islands.  Per notice by the Health Plan, the reduction will be effective February 1, 2010.

The briefing will review the recent reduction and also discuss other costs cutting measures and seek to determine the feasibility of such reductions, under the  purview of Department of Human Services.  The other healthcare services which will be reviewed for possible reduction of costs are under the following programs:  Chore Service Program, Community Care Foster Homes, Case Managers, Transportation Services for patients under community care foster homes, and Skilled Nursing Facilities.

The briefing will also discuss whether services and quality of care for the elderly and disabled may be adversely affected due to the reduction in reimbursement for case management services.

Finally, the briefing will review SCR67 SD1, HD1, adopted  by the Hawaii Legislature in 2006, "Requesting the Department of Human Services ensure that current residential alternatives community care foster family homes service array is not dismantled with the proposed Quest Expansion Program."  The three service components identified in SCR67 are case management, service assessment, and community care foster family homes.

The following organizations and/or individuals have been invited to participate:

The State Department of Human Services

Ohana Healthcare

Evercare

Community Ties of America

Community Case Management representatives

Alliance of Residential Care Administrators

The Primary Care Providers of Hawaii

Adult Foster Homecare Association of Hawaii

United Group of Home Operators

Other individuals or organizations related to caregivers, case managers, care home operators and adult foster home operators.

No public testimony will be accepted.

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids and/or services to participate in the informational briefing  (i.e., sign language interpreter or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the Committee Clerk at 586-6050 to make a request for arrangements at least 24 hours prior to the briefing.  Prompt requests help to ensure the availability of qualified individuals and appropriate accommodations.

For further information, please call the Committee Clerk at 586-6050.

In order to ensure adequate representation from each presenters, please limit testimony to five minutes.

Only testimony from people on the testifiers list will be accepted.

Persons on the testifiers list wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing with a transmittal cover indicating:

· Testifier's name with position/title and organization;

· The Committee the comments are directed to;

· The date and time of the hearing;

· Measure number; and

· The number of copies the Committee is requesting. 

While every effort will be made to copy, organize, and collate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed to the incorrect office, may be distributed to the Committee after the hearing.

Submit testimony in ONE of the following ways:

PAPER: One copy (including an original) to Room 315 in the State Capitol;

FAX:     For comments less than 5 pages in length, transmit to 586-8524 (Oahu) or 1-800-535-3859 (Neighbor Islands); or

EMAIL: For comments less than 5 pages in length, transmit to HUStestimony@Capitol.hawaii.gov.

Testimony submitted will be placed on the Legislative Web site after the hearing adjourns.  This public posting of testimony on the Web site should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids and/or services to participate in the House public hearing process (i.e., sign or foreign language interpreter or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the Committee Clerk at 586-6050 or email your request for an interpreter to HouseInterpreter@Capitol.hawaii.gov at least 24 hours prior to the hearing for arrangements.  Prompt requests submitted help to ensure the availability of qualified individuals and appropriate accommodations.

________________________________________

Rep. John M. Mizuno

Chair

________________________________________

Rep. Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker of the House