STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1515

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   S.B. No. 285

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 285, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to allow QUEST and Medicaid members to access telehealth services by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to allow the use of a mobile health van equipped with telehealth services.

     Kona Community Hospital and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported this bill.  DHS and the Hawaii Medical Service Association offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring DHS to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Sessions of 2012 and 2013 on the implementation of the use of mobile health van to provide telehealth services;

     (2)  Specifying what information the report by DHS to the Legislature should include;

     (3)  Deleting the savings clause; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 285, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 285, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair