STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1431

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 106

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.C.R. No. 106 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A WORKING GROUP RELATING TO COMPLEX PATIENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the MedQUEST Administrator to convene a working group to:

(1)  Evaluate the issue of complex patients who are waitlisted in hospitals because of medical or behavioral health issues; and

(2)  Consider solutions that include incentives or add-on payments to encourage the transfer of waitlisted patients out of hospitals and into more appropriate settings.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Legacy of Life Hawaii, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, The Queen's Health Systems, Kaiser Permanente, and AONE Hawaii.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee is aware of the problem of waitlisted patients with complex medical or behavioral conditions who remain in hospitals.  Your Committee supports the convening of a working group to address the problem.

     Your Committee requests that the working group, during its deliberations and in formulating its recommendations, be cognizant of the budgetary constraints of the State.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 106 and recommends its adoption.

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

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JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair