STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1932

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1918

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1918, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to expand health care coverage for children in the state.

 

     Specifically, this bill:

 

     (1)  Establishes the temporary Hawaii Infant Health Care Program to provide continuous, quality health care services to uninsured newborn children who are between one day and not more than 30 days of age;

 

     (2)  Establishes the temporary Hawaii Children's Health Care Program to provide health care coverage to certain uninsured children between 31 days and under 19 years of age through a public-private partnership between the Department of Human Services and a managed care plan;

 

     (3)  Requires state-funded medical assistance free of charge for certain persons under 19 years of age whose family income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level;

 

     (4)  Requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide medical assistance under QUEST-Net at no charge to children under 19 years of age whose family income is above 250 percent and does not exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty level for Hawaii, and who are otherwise eligible for QUEST-Net benefits;

 

     (5)  Provides funding for the foregoing; and

 

     (6)  Provides funding for purchases of equipment, furniture,  and three FTE positions within DHS related to several of the initiatives in this bill.

 

     The Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Family Forum, Hawaii Catholic Conference, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  Good Beginnings Alliance supported the intent of this measure.  The Attorney General opposed this bill.  DHS provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the substance of House Bill No. 1008, H.D. 2, which also expands health care coverage for children in the state.

 

     As amended, this bill differs from Senate Bill No. 1918, H.D. 1, in that it, among other things:

 

     (1)  Reduces the number of exceptions to the Hawaii Children's Health Care Program eligibility criteria;

 

     (2)  Reduces from 19 years to 18 years of age, the maximum age of children eligible for the Hawaii Children's Health Care Program;

 

     (3)  Establishes and provides funding for the Hawaii Infant Care Special Fund to provide up to $10,000 in continuous, quality health care services to uninsured newborn children between one and 31 days of age and matching funds for a public-private partnership to provide services exceeding $10,000;

 

     (4)  Removes the appropriation for expanded medical assistance for certain persons under 19 years of age whose family income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level;

 

     (5)  Removes the appropriation for equipment, furniture, and three FTE positions; and

 

     (6)  Contains an effective date of July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1918, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1918, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair