STAND. COM. REP. NO.  503

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1161

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1161 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide quality, cost-effective health care for qualified Hawaii residents by appropriating funds to be used for:

 

(1)  Restoring basic adult dental benefits to Medicaid enrollees;

 

(2)  Providing outreach and eligibility services for children, families, and individuals at federally qualified health centers; and

 

(3)  Establishing health care homes for Medicaid enrollees at federally qualified community health centers.

 

     The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Health and the Department of the Attorney General commented on this measure.  

 

 

     You Committees have amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Clarifying that the Department of Human Services will use money transferred by the Department of Health from the Community Health Centers Special Fund to establish health homes for medicaid enrollees;

 

(2)  Authorizing the Department of Health instead of the Department of Human Services to expend sums appropriated out of the Community Health Centers Special Fund;

 

(3)  Changing the amounts appropriated for the purposes of restoring basic adult dental benefits, providing outreach and eligibility services, and establishing health homes for Medicaid enrollees to unspecified amounts;

 

(4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committees respectfully request that it consider appropriating:

 

(1)  $4,800,000 to restore basic adult dental benefits to Medicaid enrollees;

 

(2)  $800,000 to provide outreach and eligibility services at federally qualified health centers; and

 

(3)  $1,000,000 to establish health homes for Medicaid enrollees at federally qualified community health centers.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1161, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1161, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 


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

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

 

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair