STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3286

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2294

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2294, H.D. 1, 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 program for an additional year and to appropriate funds from the nursing facility sustainability program special fund to assist the program in leveraging federal funds.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii Long Term Care Association, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that the nursing facility sustainability program has increased medicaid payments to nursing facilities by assessing a fee on nursing facilities, using that revenue to obtain matching federal Medicaid funds, and then returning most of those funds to the nursing facilities.  Extending the nursing facility sustainability program for an additional year will allow the reimbursements to continue and will help ensure that nursing facilities in the State remain a critical part of the long-term care safety net.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Establishing a repeal date of December 31, 2015, for the amendments made to sections 36-27(a) and 36-30(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, in sections 3 and 4 of the measure;

 

(2)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to June 29, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2294, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2294, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair