STAND. COM. REP. NO. 819

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 285

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 285, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NURSING FACILITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend the nursing facility sustainability program for two years until December 31, 2019.

     This measure also appropriates funds from the nursing facility sustainability program special fund for uses consistent with the special fund for the fiscal biennium 2017-2019.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Department of Human Services, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, The Queen's Health Systems, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the nursing facility sustainability program has successfully leveraged federal funds to increase the level of nursing facility reimbursements from the MedQUEST programs to nursing facilities, and helped maintain access to care for medicaid recipients.

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 285, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 285, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair