STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3079

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2062

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to allow for the transfer of Medicaid funds from a nursing facility or long-term care-based facility to pay for home- and community-based long-term care and services when a Medicaid-eligible individual elects to remain and receive care at home.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, the Fil-Am Courier, the Filipino American Citizens League, the Filipino Coalition for Solidarity, the Congress of Visayan Organizations, the Hawaii Coalition of CareGivers, Hawaii Centers for Independent Living, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc., the Oahu Filipino Community Council, the Philippine Nurses Association-Hawaii, and the United Filipino Council of Hawaii.  Written comments on the measure were submitted by the Department of Human Services. 

 

     Your Committee finds that Medicaid payments are often made to acute care facilities far in excess of what might be paid to home- and community-based care providers, in some situations when community-based care would be more appropriate.  As of 2006, Hawaii spent 82.7 per cent of its long-term care budget to pay for institutional care, leaving only 17.3 per cent in the communities.  This measure would give qualified nursing home patients the option of being cared for by family members at home or by a residential care provider in the community, thereby creating greater choice, potential for cost savings, and an enhanced quality of life.  Further, giving flexibility to the Department of Human Services and the ability to transfer Medicaid funds to pay more for community-based care should help to facilitate the placement of especially "challenging" patients to move from acute care to community-based care.  

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2008.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair