STAND. COM. REP. NO.  286

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 596

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 596 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to presume eligible for Medicaid applicants who have been waitlisted for long-term care who are able to show proof of certain income and asset requirements, waitlist status, and level of care requirements.

     Additionally, this bill:

     (1)  Establishes provisions for the disenrollment of applicants who are later determined to be ineligible for Medicaid after receiving services during the period of presumptive eligibility, including requiring DHS to reimburse the provider or plan;

     (2)  Requires DHS to submit a report to each Legislature beginning with the Regular Session of 2012 and ending with the Regular Session of 2016, regarding costs and issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility;

     (3)  Requires DHS to conduct a study for a potential computerized system for processing Medicaid applications; and

     (4)  Appropriates $200,000 for the 2011-2012 fiscal year to cover the costs of reimbursements to providers or plans for services provided to waitlisted patients who are enrolled but are later determined to be ineligible.

     The Queen's Medical Center, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, and Hawaii Pacific Health testified in support of this bill.  DHS provided comments.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 596 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair