STAND. COM. REP. NO. 315

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 126

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 126 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish a Medicaid Buy-In program for working people with disabilities; and

 

     (2)  Allow the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to convene, from time to time, the Joint Legislative Task Force on Medicaid to examine issues relating to Medicaid shortfalls.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Hawaii Medical Association; AlohaCare; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Mental Health America of Hawaii; Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc.; United Self-Help; and numerous individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Services.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from Hawaii Medical Service Association and Ohana Health Plan.

 

     Your Committees find that working-age adults with disabilities need adequate health insurance, but their options for insurance coverage are limited, even with the federal Affordable Care Act.  Medicaid buy-in programs allow working adults with disabilities, who do not have employer prepaid or employer-sponsored health care coverage or who earn more than the allowable ceiling, to obtain Medicaid coverage.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of the portion of this measure establishing the Joint Legislative Task Force on Medicaid from several organizations.  However, your Committees also share the concern expressed by testifiers that the title of this measure may be too narrow to encompass the establishment of the Task Force and note that this section of the measure may be more appropriately placed in S.B. No. 425, S.D. 2.

 

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting section 3 of this measure which would have established the Joint Legislative Task Force on Medicaid;

 

     (2)  Making conforming amendments to accurately reflect the purpose of the amended measure; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 126, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 126, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair