CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 92-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2252

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2252, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISCHARGE PLANNING,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require hospitals to adopt and maintain written discharge policies consistent with recent updates to federal regulations by which:

 

(1)  Each patient can designate a caregiver;

 

(2)  Each patient and the patient's designated caregiver can participate in the discharge planning and can receive instruction, prior to discharge, related to the patient's after-care needs; and

 

(3)  Each patient's caregiver is notified of the patient's discharge or transfer.

 

     Your Committee on Conference recognizes that Hawaii's population of older adults continues to increase.  In 2012, Hawaii had the highest percentage of residents over the age of 85 in the United States.  This population is projected to grow to 65 percent over the next 20 years.  These individuals are the most likely to need long-term supports and services and will likely rely on family and friends as their caregivers due to financial and resource constraints.

 

     While strong home- and community-based resources, such as respite, non-medical transportation services, and home-delivered meals, are important to help caregivers and their loved ones, medical supports are also important.  Coordination among primary care providers, along with preventive care, will enable many seniors and other individuals with chronic or debilitating conditions to stay in their homes longer.  However, in the event of an acute episode, hospitals must provide assistance to patients and their caregivers to prepare them for discharge and help them transition back to home.

 

All hospitals must comply with comprehensive guidelines mandated by the federal government related to discharge planning and transitions of care.  Among other things, hospitals must assess and consider the unique preferences and needs of patients and their caregivers when developing a discharge plan.  For a successful transition from hospital to home setting, the patient requires collaboration on the part of inpatient health care professionals and at-home caregivers.

 

This measure supports families by ensuring that all patients in inpatient hospitals have an opportunity to designate a caregiver who must be notified prior to the discharge or transfer of the patient to ensure that the patient and the designated caregiver are involved in the discharge planning process, and that the patient and caregiver are provided a consistent level of instructional support, both written and oral, prior to discharge to facilitate the patient's transition to the home setting regardless of which facility the patient is in.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2252, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2252, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Co-Chair