STAND. COM. REP. NO. 415

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 705

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 705 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON AGING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a temporary Medi-Medi Project within the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program to assist older adults, Medicare beneficiaries, individuals with disabilities, and other underserved populations who may qualify for various low-income subsidy programs to gain access to their benefits;

(2) Require the Executive Office on Aging to submit annual reports to the Legislature on the Medi-Medi Project; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program, including for staff and operating expenses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; AARP Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition; and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that many low-income individuals in Hawaii qualify for subsidy programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare savings programs such as Medicare Part D Extra Help, which reduce out-of-pocket medical and prescription drug costs. However, barriers such as language access, lack of awareness, and difficulty navigating the application process prevent many from receiving these essential benefits. To address these challenges, this measure establishes the temporary Medi-Medi Project within the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program to assist underserved populations in accessing and maintaining their health benefits, ensuring they receive the support they need.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 $100,000 for only fiscal year 2025-2026 for the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program, as the Program should be self-sufficient after the first fiscal year.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 705, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 705, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair