STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2583

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2076

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2076, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a licensing program for persons who sell, dispense, or deliver durable medical equipment to, or service that equipment for, consumers in the State.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaii Pacific Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and Hawaii Primary Care Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that in 2013, the United States government established the durable medical equipment competitive bidding program, which sought to lower medical equipment costs for Medicare recipients on the island of Oahu and other metropolitan areas.  However, the program has caused significant problems for Oahu patients, including delays in discharge due to extended waiting times for equipment shipped from the mainland and problems contacting mainland durable medical equipment suppliers.  Your Committee also finds that establishing a licensing program will help to ensure that patients receive a minimum level of access to durable medical devices without increasing the costs or reducing availability of durable medical devices.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

    

     (1)  Clarifying the definition of durable medical equipment supplier; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to January 21, 2017, to provide the Department of Health with time to implement the durable medical equipment supplier license program.

 

     Your Committee requests that the next committee to hear this measure consider providing additional time to the Department of Health to implement the program established by this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2076, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2076, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair