STAND. COM. REP. 209

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1420

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1420 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve oral health in Hawaii by:

(1) Authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for community health centers in underserved areas;

(2) Appropriating funds to establish oral health clinics and to hire dentists and dental hygienists; and

(3) Appropriating funds for the State's Medicaid program for basic oral health services.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services and Department of Health provided comments.

Your Committees find that oral health in Hawaii is extremely poor, particularly in rural and underserved areas. One of the contributing factors to poor oral health is the lack of service providers and lack of funding to Medicaid programs. Individuals covered under Medicaid are only provided dental services in emergency situations and often have to endure pain until it becomes an emergency.

Your Committees have heard several measures pertaining to Hawaii's poor oral health, and believes that by funding oral health programs now, costs will decline in the future. Your Committees recognize that some of the measures have overlapping provisions.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the appropriation to the State's Medicaid program for oral health services; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1420, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1420, 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 Housing and Health,

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair