STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2266

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2050

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2050 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Human Services to implement an earned income disregard program as an intermediate step to implementing a full Medicaid buy-in program.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Lanakila Pacific, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that Act 200, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, established a joint legislative Medicaid Buy-In Task Force to explore the possibility of implementing a Medicaid buy-in program for individuals with disabilities who are either not working or currently working but would like to earn more income.  Your Committee further finds that the Medicaid Buy-In Task Force recommended an alternate approach of an interim step to the Medicaid buy-in program for individuals with disabilities to earn income and not lose their Medicaid benefits.  While this interim program would not provide the full benefits of a Medicaid buy-in program, it would increase the amount of income an individual could earn while retaining Medicaid eligibility.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  As suggested by the Department of Human Services:

 

          (A)  Inserting language to allow greater flexibility in determining the income disregard amount;

 

          (B)  Inserting language to reflect that the earned income disregard program would be contingent on approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and

 

          (C)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2050, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2050, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair