STAND. COM. REP. NO.  327-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2249

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2249 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FRAUD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that public funds are not misappropriated for the benefit of individuals who are not eligible for medical assistance benefits by:

(1)  Clarifying that medical assistance fraud is a class C felony regardless of whether the person making a false statement or misrepresentation is a provider or a recipient;

(2)  Requiring a recipient of medical assistance benefits who is convicted of medical assistance fraud to pay restitution to the State equal to the amount of fraudulent benefits paid on their behalf;

(3)  Increasing the amount of time prosecutors have to prosecute cases of medical assistance fraud; and

(4)  Defining the term "Medical Assistance Benefit". 

The Department of the Attorney General and Department of Human Services supported this bill.

     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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2249, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2249, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair