CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 5-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    S.B. No. 2395

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2395, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELEHEALTH,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to enhance access to care via telehealth, including:

     (1)  Requiring Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service programs to provide reimbursement for services provided by telehealth in the same manner as those provided in person;

     (2)  Ensuring that services provided by telehealth are consistent with privacy, security, and confidentiality laws;

     (3)  Specifying medical professional liability insurance policy requirements for telehealth coverage;

     (4)  Requiring written disclosure of coverage and benefits associated with telehealth;

     (5)  Lifting restrictions and limitations on patient setting and applicable telehealth technology;

     (6)  Clarifying relationship requirements between patients, insurers, and providers; and

     (7)  Clarifying other reimbursement requirements for telehealth, including reimbursement requirements for Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health benefits plans.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that telehealth is a proven, efficient, and effective way to facilitate timely access to quality health care, improve health outcomes, reduce the incidence of avoidable urgent and emergent care, and ensure equitable distribution of health care providers.  The use of telehealth allows health care providers to treat patients in settings that are more convenient and comfortable for the patient, which facilitates a patient-centered approach for delivery of health care services.

     Your Committee on Conference further finds that telehealth is used extensively throughout the country and can be particularly effective in states like Hawaii, where many segments of the population, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas, experience challenges in accessing quality health care.  This measure removes artificial barriers to telehealth that have contributed to poor adoption and utilization of telehealth by health care providers, in order to improve the quality and accessibility of health care for patients throughout the State.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 1, 2017.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2395, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2395, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair
____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Co-Chair
____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair	____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair
____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI, Co-Chair