STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1642-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2469

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 3

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2469, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELEHEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve access to health care services in the State by, among other things:

     (1)  Requiring equivalent insurance reimbursement for services provided by a health care provider to a patient, regardless of whether the service is provided through telehealth or via face-to-face contact between a health care provider and patient;

     (2)  Clarifying the definition of health care provider for telehealth purposes; and

     (3)  Replacing references to "telemedicine" with "telehealth" and clarifying the definition of "telehealth" throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The Office of the Governor, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the Hawaii Medical Association supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Medical Board commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion. Technical nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2469, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2469, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair