STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2016

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1453

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1453, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the provision of emergency medical services.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Authorizes the Department of Health to establish reasonable fees for emergency ambulance services to transport an individual to a medical facility and for certain emergency medical services when an ambulance is not used to transport an individual to a medical facility; and

(2) Requires the State's Medicaid programs and private health insurance plans to cover ambulance services and related services provided by emergency medical technicians or paramedics.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services; Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Oahu County Democrats, American Medical Response, and American Medical Response - Kauai.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Medical Service Association.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of the Attorney General, and the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

Your Committee finds that the authorization of reasonable fees for emergency ambulance services and emergency medical services and subsequent health insurance coverage for those services will offset the costs of delivering these services.

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 H.B. No. 1453, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair