STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3678

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2738

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2738, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve access to healthcare for children.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Establishes and appropriates funds for a three-year pilot program to provide health care services to uninsured newborn children who are at least one day old and no more than thirty days old;

 

(2)  Establishes and appropriates funds for a three-year pilot program to provide health care coverage to qualified uninsured children who are between thirty-one days old and nineteen years old; and

 

(3)  Requires the Department of Human Services to report to the Legislature on the pilot programs.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that there is a significant population of uninsured children who are not eligible for health care coverage through any state or federal program and who typically do not receive an appropriate level of medical care.

 

     Your Committee notes the Department of Human Services' concerns that:

 

(1)  Additional appropriations and resources will be necessary to implement and administer the two pilot programs;

 

(2)  Using the estimated number of uninsured children noted in the measure, the estimated costs to be split between a health insurer and the Department will be approximately $18,277,050 per year, of which $9,138,525 (plus additional administrative costs for administering and overseeing the new programs) must be paid from state funds each year; further, none of these costs will be eligible for federal matching funds;

 

(3)  The Department is not aware of a health plan or plans that are willing to cover half of the costs of the pilot programs; and

 

(4)  The measure does not propose any income limitations for eligible children.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     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. 2738, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2738, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair