STAND. COM. REP. NO. 806

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 666

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 666, 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 establish the emergency services patient advocate program to assist and advocate on behalf of patients receiving emergency medical care.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Community Alliance for Mental Health and two individuals.  Kaiser Permanente submitted written comments in opposition to this measure.

Your Committee finds that the experience of having to go to the emergency room either for oneself or because of a family member or friend is often very traumatic for people.  Establishing an emergency services patient advocate program will assist individuals and families in making informed decisions about medical care.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Appropriating unspecified sums to the Department of Health for the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium to fund the emergency services patient advocate program; and

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on the measure.

     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. 666, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 666, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair