STAND. COM. REP. NO.  504

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1239

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1239 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that qualified noncitizens who are lawfully present in the State, and who but for their citizenship status would be eligible for Medicaid, obtain affordable health care through the Hawaii Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange).  Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Requires the Department of Human Services to pay health insurance costs assessed against the following individuals who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid except for citizenship status:

 

(A)  Any Hawaii resident who is present in the State under the respective Compacts of Free Association (COFA) that the United States has with the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau; and

 

(B)  Any lawfully present legal permanent resident admitted to the United States for less than five years who is 19 years and older, provided that the resident is transferred to or enrolls in a health care plan through the Exchange;

(2)  Requires the Department of Human Services to engage in community outreach to assist noncitizen residents who transfer to or enroll in Exchange health insurance plans; and

 

(3)  Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services for health insurance costs and community outreach efforts for qualified noncitizen residents.

 

     The Filipino Law Students Association, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Coalition for Immigration Reform, HealthyPacific.Org, Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, PHOCUSED, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Kokua Kalihi Valley, The Queen's Health Systems, Niu Health Chiropractic, and many concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Hawaii Medical Service Association supported the intent of this measure.  The Consul General of the Federated States of Micronesia, Department of Human Services, Department of the Attorney General, and several individuals commented on this measure.  

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Adding an appropriation out of the Hospital Sustainability Program Special Fund for fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to be expended by the Department of Human Services for paying health insurance costs;

 

(2)  Changing the amounts appropriated for paying health insurance costs and funding community outreach efforts to unspecified amounts;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committees respectfully request that it consider:

 

(1)  Appropriating $5,000,000 to pay for health insurance costs of COFA residents; and

 

(2)  Appropriating $500,000 to provide for community outreach efforts.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1239, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1239, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

 

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair