HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE

INTERIM OF 2011

COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Rep. John M. Mizuno, Chair

Rep. Jo Jordan, Vice Chair

Rep. Della Au Belatti	Rep. Jessica Wooley
Rep. Faye P. Hanohano	Rep. Ryan I. Yamane
Rep. Chris Lee	Rep. Corinne W.L. Ching
Rep. Dee Morikawa	Rep. Kymberly Marcos Pine

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

DATE:	Tuesday, June 21, 2011
TIME:	10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
PLACE:	Conference Room 329 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street

A G E N D A

The purpose of this informational briefing is to review the proposed 3% reduction for Community Care Foster Family Homes under contract with Ohana Health or Ever Care Health plans.  The briefing will also review all proposed reductions to agencies such as, but not limited to, Case Managers, Non-Emergency Transport Services, caregivers, and Community Care Adult Residential Care Homes under contract with said health plans or under the Department of Human Services (DHS).

The briefing will also review the current contracts of Ohana Health Plan, Ever Care Health Plan, and Community Ties of America (CTA); the contract amount for each agency, the services provided by such contracts, the term of each contract and the ability for either party (DHS-State or health plans/CTA) to revoke said contract.

Concerns of late payments to service providers by above mentioned health plans will also be addressed at the briefing, as well as concerns of health plans no longer accepting Community Care Foster Family Home Operators under their plan.

Fairness in payments to all service providers, such as but not limited to Community Care Foster Family Homes and Adult Residential Care Homes, through said health plans or DHS will also be discussed at the briefing.

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 pay for all service providers.

Finally, review of the referral system for patients being transferred from hospitals to either a Community Care Foster Family Home, Adult Residential Care Home, Expanded Care Home, or Nursing Home, will be discussed, with recommended solutions for a better system being noted to adequately address the hospitals' deficit of between $70 to $100 million annually for failure to properly transfer patients no longer requiring "acute care" to a proper community based care home or nursing home and improving fairness and timely transfer of patients to suitable community care homes or nursing homes.

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

The State Department of Human Services

Healthcare Association of Hawaii

Ohana Health Plan

Evercare Health Plan

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

Foster Homes of the Pacific

United Group of Home Operators

Non-Emergency Transport Services under contract with DHS

Neighbor Island - Community Care Foster Family Home Associations &

Adult Residential Care Home Associations

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

APPROVED

________________________________________

Rep. Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker of the House