STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1192

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1304

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1304, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a temporary Healthcare Task Force to develop a plan for implementing health care for all residents of Hawaii.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, a member of the Maui County Council, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Kokua Council and ILWU Local 142, and seven individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii submitted comments.

Your Committees find that it is necessary to improve the availability of health care coverage so that all residents are insured. Several entities have already been formed and have ongoing efforts in place to address related health care issues, such as the Hawaii Uninsured Project, the Vision 2000 Healthcare Congress, and the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on Cancer Care in Hawaii, among others. Your Committees agree with Kaiser Permanente that the proposed Healthcare Task Force should draw upon these resources in fulfilling the purpose of this measure. Your Committees do not presume to choose a system of coverage, but rather agree that there should be a cost analysis of different systems or proposals.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Placing the task force within the Department of Health for administrative purposes;

(2) Increasing the number of members to thirteen;

(3) Having the members appointed by the Governor from a list of recommendations submitted by the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Director of Health, and the Hawaii Uninsured Project;

(4) Requiring a balanced representation of interested parties with a majority of the members having experience in health care and the health care industry;

(5) Requiring a minimum of three members who actively participate with the Hawaii Uninsured Project;

(6) Requiring at least one neighbor island representative; and

(7) Requiring the task force to contract with the Hawaii Uninsured Project to serve as facilitator to: convene meetings; provide minutes for meetings and other staff support; facilitate contracting for studies, including but not limited to a cost analysis comparing the costs under the status quo with various options under consideration including but in not limited to a possible single-payer system and the recommendations to decrease the uninsured population made by the Hawaii Uninsured Project; and prepare a report for the task force to be submitted to the Legislature.

Your Committees further amended this measure by including the substance of S.B. No. 1469, S.D. 1, which establishes a $5 surcharge for each marriage license granted for additional benefit and compensation for the non-civil service agent.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1304, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1304, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair