STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1065

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 462

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 462, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NURSING FACILITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend the nursing facility sustainability fee program to 2021.

 

     In addition, this measure:

 

(1)  Broadens the uses of expenditures from the nursing facility sustainability program special fund to include the matching of federal Medicaid funds in order to enhance capitated rates for paying quality incentives;

 

(2)  Increases program fees;

 

(3)  Allows Medicaid managed care health plans thirty days to make payments once monthly capitation rates have been received from the Department of Human Services; and

 

(4)  Appropriates funds from the nursing facility sustainability program special fund.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and The Queen's Health Systems.

 

     Your Committee finds that the nursing facility sustainability program continues to play a critical role in providing a safety net for Medicaid recipients.

 

     Your Committee notes that a special fund appropriation of $21,000,000 is needed in each year of fiscal biennium 2019-2021.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing the special fund appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

 

(2)  Changing the effective date of the appropriation to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 462, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 462, S.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair