Bill Text: HI HB995 | 2017 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Health Services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-14 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). [HB995 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2017-HB995-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
995 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HEALTH SERVICES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Maui memorial medical center is the only acute care hospital on the island of Maui and often operates over capacity. Much of this problem with operating over capacity is related to the high number of patients who are no longer considered "acute". These patients are no longer in need of acute level services but are waiting to transfer to a long term care facility, such as the Hale Makua Health Services. The legislature finds that approximately twenty per cent of Maui memorial medical center's acute care beds per day are occupied by these "wait-list" patients.
The wait-list issue has financial implications because the cost to the State and the healthcare delivery system of a wait-listed patient is $1,500 per day. This problem will be exacerbated as the Maui memorial medical center-Kaiser Permanente transition takes place because Kaiser Permanente is bringing more physician capabilities to Maui, which in turn will allow more Maui residents to stay on island for their acute care needs, and thereby increase demand for such services. From a financial perspective, without adequate capacity to provide more profitable services (i.e. services for acute patients), Maui memorial medical center will continue to need subsides to support wait-list patients at the higher cost of acute hospital care, versus the lower cost of nursing home care.
The legislature finds that the State currently provides $30,000,000 per year in subsidy to Maui memorial medical center to support healthcare for Maui residents. The legislature believes that one of the best opportunities to reduce the subsidy provided by the State is to facilitate a reduction in wait-listed patients at Maui memorial medical center. The legislature further believes that a $2,000,000 subsidy to allow Hale Makua Health Services to admit more wait-listed patients from Maui memorial medical center will yield a net savings to the State of $8,950,000 per year.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to permit Hale Makua Health Services to admit more wait-listed patients from Maui memorial medical center and reduce the subsidy required to support Maui's healthcare needs.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for Hale Makua Health Services to admit more wait-listed patients from Maui memorial medical center.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2090.
Report Title:
Hale Makua Health Services; Department of Health; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to allow Hale Makua Health Services to admit more wait-listed patients from Maui Memorial Medical Center. (HB995 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
