STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2492

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2645

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2645 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow standard telephone contacts for the purpose of providing telehealth services related to behavior health.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System; Hawaiian Island Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; National Association of Social Workers, Hawai‘i Chapter; Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition; Hawaii Medical Association; Hawai‘i Primary Care Association; Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association; Hawai‘i Public Health Association; Kauai Integrative Therapies, LLC; Mental Health of America of Hawai‘i; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; Hawai‘i Association of Professional Nurses; Self Help Hawaii, LLC; and twelve individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Medical Service Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Human Services, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the Governor's emergency order allowed the use of standard telephone contacts between health care providers and patients to minimize in-person meetings while ensuring continued access to care. Allowing insurance reimbursement for telehealth through standard telephone contacts greatly increased access to care for vulnerable populations, including the elderly, low-income, medically- and socially-complex patients, and those in rural areas who do not have the broadband capabilities, electronic equipment, financial means, transportation options, or technological proficiency to operate sophisticated digital video conferencing software. This measure aims to make provisions of the emergency order permanent as it applies to behavioral health services by including standard telephone contacts for behavioral health services in the definition of "telehealth".

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2645, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair