STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1432

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 900

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 900, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE HEALTH INSURANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Executive Office on Aging to submit an annual progress report to the Legislature on the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program for the establishment of additional positions within the Executive Office on Aging.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, Disability and Communication Access Board, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, AARP Hawai‘i, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition, and fifteen individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Health Insurance Program was established in 1992 to assist and educate Medicare beneficiaries on a variety of topics, including making informed health choices based on the beneficiary's needs and budget, Medicare enrollment periods, and access to health and wellness programs. Your Committee further finds that the Hawaii State Health Insurance Program currently serves over eight thousand individuals, or approximately three percent of the State's Medicare population. The federal Administration for Community Living considers serving approximately eight percent of the Medicare population as acceptable performance and justification for continued funding. This measure is intended to assist the State's Medicare population and meet the Administration for Community Living's annual goal of 23,191 people served, by providing additional staffing resources to the Hawaii State Health Insurance Program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the content of the progress reports to be submitted to the Legislature by the Hawaii State Health Insurance Program;

(2) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $229,000 for the three full-time equivalent positions established by this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 900, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 900, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair