STAND. COM. REP. NO.  502-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2411

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2411 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELEHEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to improve access to health care services in Hawaii by:

 

     (1)  Requiring reimbursement for services provided through telehealth to be equivalent to reimbursement for the same services provided via face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that a health care provider of telehealth includes primary care providers, mental health providers, and oral health providers; and

 

     (3)  Replacing references to "telemedicine" with "telehealth" throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

 

     The Office of The Governor, Department of Health, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, The Queen's Health Systems, American Organization of Nurse Executives - Hawaii, Community Alliance for Mental Health, United Self Help, Hawaii Pacific Health, and several individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  An individual provided testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Human Services, Hawaii Medical Board, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and an individual provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion; and

 

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

 

     Your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce consider whether insurance plans would be able to reconcile current practices in telehealth and telemedicine with the changes proposed in this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2411, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2411, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair