STAND. COM. REP. NO.  501

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 843

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 843 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve access to dental health care in the State by appropriating funds to restore basic adult dental benefits to Medicaid enrollees.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hana Health; West Hawaii Community Health Center; Hawaii Dental Association; The Queen's Health Systems; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i; Waimanalo Health Center; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; Hawaii Public Health Association; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; ‘Ohana Health Plan; AlohaCare; Self-Advocacy Advisory Council; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Arc of Kona; Waikiki Health; We Are One, Inc.; Hawai‘i Pacific Health; Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services; Hawaii Dental Service; and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and several individuals commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to facilitate further discussion on this measure.

     Should the Committee on Finance further deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $4,704,480 for fiscal year 2017-2018 and $9,408,960 for fiscal year 2018-2019 to restore basic adult dental benefits to Medicaid enrollees.

     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. 843, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 843, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair