STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1120

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 582

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 582, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NURSING FACILITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  No longer exempt the nursing facility sustainability program special fund from central service expenses and departmental administrative expenses;

 

     (2)  Continue the nursing facility sustainability program for one additional year; and

 

     (3)  Appropriate funds from the nursing facility sustainability program special fund for fiscal year 2015-2016.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and The Queen's Health Systems.

 

Your Committees find that the majority of residents in Hawaii's nursing facilities are Medicaid enrollees and the nursing facility sustainability program ensures that they have access to quality care.  Your Committees further find that the Legislature created the nursing facility sustainability program to increase Medicaid payments to nursing facilities in recognition that Medicaid payments to nursing facilities are below the actual costs of care.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by specifying an effective date of June 29, 2015, for the clarifying language about permissible allocation of proceeds from the nursing facility sustainability program special fund.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 582, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 582, 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 Human Services and Housing and Health,

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair

 

________________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair