STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2910

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 900

       H.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 900, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to strengthen the State's ability to prosecute individuals who fraudulently obtain medical assistance.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will allow for more effective prosecution of applicants who fraudulently obtain medical assistance paid for by the State.  Existing law could be interpreted to apply only to fraud committed by health care providers, and not to fraud committed by individual recipients of medical assistance benefits.  This measure will make it clear that the law also applies to fraud committed by individual recipients and enable prosecutors to commence actions for medical assistance fraud beyond the three-year statute of limitations established by section 701-108(2), Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     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. 900, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

________________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair