STAND. COM. REP. NO.  795

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 326

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 326, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure for two years that Medicaid and QUEST health plans have the flexibility to provide appropriate health services through various means by specifying that:

 

     (1)  A health plan under the Department of Human Services' (DHS) Medicaid or QUEST program does not require:

 

          (A)  Approval to deliver services using a telehealth service; or

    

          (B)  In-person visits to qualify any telehealth service for coverage;

          and

 

     (2)  The mobile medical van program operating in a county with a population of less than 250,000 people and operated by Kona Community Hospital shall be funded through a partnership with a nonprofit mutual benefit society operating in the State that provides health care coverage to at least 600,000 members.

    

     This measure also defines telehealth.

 

     The Kona Community Hospital and Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported this bill.  The Department of Human Services opposed this bill.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 326, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair