STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1079

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1102

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1102 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FROM THE HOSPITAL SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM SPECIAL FUND,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate emergency funding to the Department of Human Services to ensure:

 

(1)  Continued timely payments to hospitals in the State; and

 

(2)  There is no disruption in the provision of medically-necessary services to Medicaid program recipients.

 

     This bill appropriates $43,000,000 out of the Hospital Sustainability Program Special Fund for fiscal year 2012-2013 to be used consistent with the Hospital Sustainability Program Special Fund, including the reimbursement of moneys advanced in fiscal year 2012-2013 from the Health Care Payments Program (HMS 401).

 

     Pursuant to the requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in Governor's Message No. 207 to the Legislature, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill by the Legislature to avoid any delay in payment to hospitals for fiscal year 2012-2013.

 

     The Department of Human Services, Hawaii Pacific Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and North Hawaii Community Hospital supported this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1102 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair