STAND. COM. REP. NO. 547

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 787

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 787, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to acute care hospitals for treating patients who are waitlisted for long-term care to be equal to the rates for similar acute care services.  This measure also appropriates moneys for increased Medicaid reimbursements.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Christina Donkervoet, Director of Care Coordination and Patient Flow, The Queen's Medical Center; and Louis Erteschik, Staff Attorney, Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide fair compensation to acute care hospitals for housing patients who are on a waitlist for entry to a long-term care facility.  This measure also will provide fair compensation to long-term care facilities for patients whose level of care changes from acute to long-term care and improve the stability of the health care system as a whole.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 787, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 787, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair