STAND. COM. REP. NO.  147-12

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2274

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2274 entitled:

 

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

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure access to health care for Medicaid recipients by:

 

(1)  Establishing a nursing facility sustainability fee to be used to attract federal Medicaid matching funds under the QUEST Expanded Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver; and

 

(2)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to charge and collect a provider fee on health care items or services provided by nursing facilities.

 

     The Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Long Term Care Association, and an individual testified in support of this measure.  Palolo Chinese Home testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Human Services, Department of Budget and Finance, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and two individuals submitted comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Exempting continuing care retirement communities from the nursing facility sustainability fee;

 

(2)  Rescheduling the fee payment from a quarterly basis to a monthly basis;

 

(3)  Specifying that a Section 1115 Waiver renewal and approval of contracts between the State and the Medicaid health plans may be necessary as the Department of Human Services seeks a waiver and other approvals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement the nursing facility sustainability program;

 

(4)  Specifying that the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Hawaii Long Term Care Association are also to receive documentation of the rate enhancement from the QUEST and QUEST Expanded Access plans;

 

(5)  Authorizing the State to modify the categories of facilities exempt from the assessment and the rate adjustment if necessary to obtain approval of the waiver and plan amendment from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and

 

(6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2274, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2274, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair