STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1361

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 41

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 41 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF INCREASING PAYMENT TO HAWAII'S COMMUNITY CARE FOSTER FAMILY HOMES (CCFFH) AND EXPANDED ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES (E-ARCH) FOR MEDICAID RECIPIENTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Human Services to study the feasibility of increasing payment to Hawaii's Community Care Foster Family Homes (CCFFH) and Expanded Adult Residential Care Homes (E-ARCH) for Medicaid recipients.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from United Caregivers of Hawaii, Adult Foster Homecare Association of Hawaii, Community Home Care Association of Hawaii, and 49 individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii has a limited number of beds in nursing homes for patients requiring the level of care provided by nursing homes.  Your Committee also finds that the CCFFH and E—ARCH programs provide additional options for patients requiring nursing home level care throughout the State.  Caregivers in CCFFHs and E—ARCHs effectively provide the proper care needed for nursing home level patients.  The CCFFH program is currently serving approximately three thousand patients, with the potential for even greater capacity.  The CCFFH and E—ARCH programs allow reduction of hospital stays by patients requiring nursing home level of care and provide relief to families caring for a family member with such needs, which can lead to a reduction of morbidity and mortality in those patients.  Your Committee further finds that although the CCFFH and E—ARCH programs provide the same level of care for patients at nursing facilities, unlike the sustainability fund established for nursing facilities, there is no similar fund directly related to the CCFFH and E—ARCH programs.

 

Accordingly, your Committee believes that establishing a CCFFH and E—ARCH sustainability fund will provide an affordable system for long—term care for patients outside of nursing facilities; and therefore amendments are necessary.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Urging the Department of Human Services to convene a working group to explore creation of a sustainability fund as well as other methods to increase funding for the Community Care Foster Family Home and Expanded Adult Residential Care Home programs;

 

     (2)  Deleting references to reimbursement rates for program caregivers who accept Medicaid patients and other language to sharpen to focus of the measure;

 

     (3)  Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 41, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 41, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair