STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2247

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2827

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2827 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE TRANSFORMATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Establish the Office of Health Care Transformation within the State Health Planning and Development Agency;

     (2)  Change the name of the State Health Planning and Development Agency to the Hawaii Health Care Planning and Policy Authority; and

     (3)  Establish the health care transformation special fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Health, and Hawaii Medical Service Association.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Health Authority, Community Alliance for Mental Health, and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that the State's health care system needs a sustained transformation effort that addresses all facets of health care, including a renewed emphasis on quality and best practices, more care coordination, consumer engagement, a more diverse workforce, effective use of health-related data, and payment reforms.  Your Committee further finds that creating a permanent state agency to facilitate health care transformation is needed to carry out the plan.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 2827, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2827, 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