STAND. COM. REP. NO.  107-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2292

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2292 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR THE MED-QUEST DIVISION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide emergency funding to the Department of Human Services to address the funding shortfall in its Medicaid Program resulting from the delay in reimbursement from the Hawaii Health Connector for services and moneys provided by the Department of Human Services to the Hawaii Health Connector.

 

     Citing a critical fiscal emergency, this bill appropriates $6,020,727 in general funds for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 for General Support for Health Care Payments (HMS 902) to address the funding shortfall to ensure that the Department of Human Services is able to fund its core operations and continue to serve its beneficiaries.

 

     The Department of Human Services testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Health Connector commented on this measure.

 

     Pursuant to the requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in Governor's Message No. 185 to the Legislature, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill by the Legislature.

 

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Deleting the specified amounts in the appropriations;

 

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate continued discussion; and

 

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committees respectfully request its consideration of the appropriation amount of $6,020,727 for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 for General Support for Health Care Payments (HMS 902).

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2292, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2292, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair