STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1214

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.B. No. 666

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 666, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committee, is to enable patients and their family members to recognize and exercise their rights to secure appropriate and available emergency medical care by establishing an emergency services patient advocate program to provide assistance to and advocate on behalf of patients receiving emergency medical care.

The Community Alliance for Mental Health, United Self Help, and several individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Health supported the intent of this measure.  The Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii opposed this measure.

     Upon consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by instead establishing a task force to:

(1)  Assess the scope and feasibility of establishing an emergency services patient advocate program to provide assistance to and advocate on behalf of patients receiving emergency medical care; and

(2)  Submit a report of its findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014.

     Your Committee respectfully requests the Committee on Finance to consider and determine the composition of the three community-patient members, appointed by the Director of Health, to serve on the task force.

     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. 666, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 666, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair