Report Title:

Healthcare; Hepatitis C; Two-year Demonstration Project

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to establish a two-year Hepatitis C demonstration project at the Waikiki Health Center and the West Hawaii Community Center to provide testing, case management, treatment, surveillance, research, and outcome.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1467

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

Relating to a two-year hepatitis c demonstration project.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii has the highest rate of liver cancer in the United States due to the high rate of chronic viral hepatitis in our state.  There are over fifteen thousand people that have tested positive for hepatitis C in Hawaii.

     Each year, approximately ten thousand to twelve thousand people in the United States die from hepatitis C.  It is estimated that by the end of this decade deaths from hepatitis C will increase sixty to two hundred per cent. 

     Hepatitis C is also the leading cause of liver transplant in the United States.  Many people who are infected with this silent epidemic wait until they feel ill before being tested, when it can be more difficult, extremely expensive, or may even be too late to be treated.

     The legislature further finds that testing, early medical follow-up, and treatment are needed to save lives.  Proactive public health intervention is needed to reduce costs to our public health system instead of the high costs that can occur without proactive public health intervention.

     The purpose of this Act is to provide funding for a two-year demonstration model at the Waikiki Health Center and the West Hawaii Community Health Center, that includes hepatitis C testing, case management, and treatment.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $120,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to provide testing, case management, treatment, surveillance, research, and outcome assessments during a two-year hepatitis C demonstration project at the Waikiki Health Center and the West Hawaii Community Center.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Department of Health's STD/AIDS Prevention Branch for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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