STAND. COM. REP. NO.  406-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2757

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2757 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPITALS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the strength of Hawaii's health care safety net by:

 

(1)  Establishing a hospital capital loan program under the Department of Health (DOH); and

 

(2)  Requiring a loan be provided to Hawaii Medical Center, LLC.

 

     The Hawaii Medical Center and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  DOH opposed this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Specifying that DOH will provide the first loan to a private hospital in the state that annually services a patient population of 60 percent or more of uninsured, Medicaid, and Medicare patients; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2757, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2757, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair