STAND. COM. REP. NO. 81

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 761

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 761 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NORTH HAWAII COMMUNITY HOSPITAL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide a grant to North Hawaii Community Hospital to address the severe shortage of primary healthcare providers.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from North Hawaii Community Hospital, Hawaii Medical Association, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of primary healthcare providers in the State.  North Hawaii Community Hospital, a rural community hospital, provides crucial services to meet these needs.  However, North Hawaii Community Hospital has recently suffered a $1,000,000 decrease in funding due to a change in the methodology for determining Medicare reimbursement for low-volume hospitals.  Your Committee notes that North Hawaii Community Hospital has indicated it will timely submit a 42F grant application to the appropriate legislative standing committees.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 761, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 761, 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, Chair