Bill Text: HI HB408 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Bill 408 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: QUEST Expanded Access; Health Care; University of Hawaii; Appropriation

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [HB408 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HB408-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	408
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to health care.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. QUEST expanded access is a medicaid-managed care program that replaced a fee-for-service program in 2009, and provides care to low-income individuals who are aged, blind, or disabled. These individuals typically have multiple medical conditions and require care from different health care providers. The annual budget for QUEST expanded access is $500,000,000.

The goals of QUEST expanded access include a reduction in the fragmentation of care and the assurance of coordination across the health care continuum. In addition, the program is designed to be fiscally predictable, stable, and sustainable in order to assure access to high quality, cost-effective care.

However, despite these high ideals, enrollees, advocates, and health care providers have expressed serious concerns that QUEST expanded access is failing to meet its stated goals and that many enrollees are not receiving adequate care.

QUEST expanded access should be formally evaluated to determine whether these concerns are valid, and if so, to correct existing problems. In this regard, social auditing is a process that evaluates programs to determine their social and economic benefits and limitations. It is a way of measuring the extent to which a program fulfills its stated values and objectives. Social auditing information is collected through various research methods, including surveys, interviews, and case studies.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the school of social work at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to conduct a social audit of QUEST expanded access.

SECTION 2. (a) The school of social work at the University of Hawaii at Manoa shall conduct a social audit of the QUEST expanded access program.

(b) The social audit shall:

(1) Determine whether the goals of QUEST expanded access are being achieved.

(2) Formulate recommendations if the social audit determines any of the goals of QUEST expanded access have not been achieved.

(c) The dean of the school of social work shall submit a report of the social audit's findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2012 regular session.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $200,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 for the purpose of conducting a social audit of the QUEST expanded access program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2011.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

QUEST Expanded Access; Health Care; University of Hawaii; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the purpose of a social audit of the QUEST expanded access program.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.