CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 25-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2608

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2608, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to extend the sunset date of the payment methodology for critical access hospitals to June 30, 2006 and making permanent the exemption of critical access hospitals from Medicaid reimbursement equity.

Upon further discussion, your Committee has amended this measure by repealing the sunset date of Act 226, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000. Consequently, the amendments make the following permanent:

(1) Payment methodology to critical access hospitals using medicare reasonable cost principles;

(2) Definition of "critical access hospital"; and

(3) Exemption of critical access hospitals from medicaid reimbursement equity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2608, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2608, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Co-Chair

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ROSALYN BAKER, Co-Chair

____________________________

BERTHA C. KAWAKAMI, Co-Chair

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair