STAND. COM. REP. NO. 352

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 595

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 595 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a tax credit equal to one hundred percent of the amount of medical malpractice insurance premium paid by a physician if at least fifteen percent of a physician's total patient case load consists of patients on Medicaid.  The intent of this measure is to address the shortage of physicians who are willing to accept Medicaid patients.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from The League of Women Voters of Honolulu.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will help to reward doctors who are acting in the public interest by providing critical health care services to patients who rely upon Medicaid for their health care payments. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by reducing the amount of the tax credit available under this measure from one hundred percent to twenty-five percent of the amount of medical malpractice insurance premium paid by a qualified physician.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 595, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 595, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair