Bill Text: HI HCR52 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 52 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Hawaii Health Systems Corporation

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-27 - (H) The committee(s) on HLT recommend(s) that the measure be deferred. [HCR52 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HCR52-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	52
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION TO IMPLEMENT THE COLLABORATION OF COMMUNITY HOSPITALS WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, AND to DEVELOP A PLAN TO INTEGRATE CERTAIN RURAL HOSPITALS WITH FEDERALLY-QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.

WHEREAS, rural people and rural communities in Hawaii are faced with many of the same health care issues and challenges as the rest of the nation, including exploding health care costs, large numbers of uninsured and underinsured persons, and an overextended health care structure; and

WHEREAS, many rural hospitals in Hawaii have financial margins too narrow or too low to support investments in critical plant and technological upgrades, and Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates remain generally below the actual costs of services provided, thus stressing providers that depend on reimbursements from these public programs; and

WHEREAS, as stated in the United States Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration's policy, the goal of collaboration is to use the strengths of all involved organizations to best meet the overall health care needs of an area's underserved population; and

WHEREAS, section 323F-25, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), states that:

"Each regional system board and each community hospital under the jurisdiction of the corporation shall collaborate with community health centers within their respective geographic jurisdictions to maximize funding from the state and federal governments to:

(1) Maximize reimbursement for health care services provided;

(2) Acquire funds for capital investment;

(3) Provide expanded hours of service; and

(4) Ensure the provision of the appropriate level of care to the community served by each community health center";

and

WHEREAS, collaboration between community hospitals and community health centers will help rural communities in Hawaii improve and expand access to health care, encourage continued partnering with other organizations to expand and improve access to culturally-competent, quality health care, and ensure that services are appropriately available to rural patients, including primary, preventive, and enabling services; and

WHEREAS, there are 23 hospitals in Hawaii, 13 of which are located in rural areas, and there are two rural health clinics and 13 federally-qualified health centers that provide services at 69 sites in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has a robust network of federally-qualified health centers that provide quality health care to more than 100,000 uninsured persons, and these health centers remove barriers to care, including services that help their patients access health care, such as transportation, case management, and health education, and tailor their services to fit the special needs and priorities of their communities; and

WHEREAS, integrating certain rural hospitals into federally-qualified health centers would expand the focus on primary care and prevention and capture the cost-based reimbursement for all services provided to Medicaid patients, as well as provide free malpractice coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act; and

WHEREAS, a plan to integrate certain rural hospitals, including Kohala Hospital, Hale Hoola Hamakua, Kau Hospital, Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at the West Kauai Medical Center, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital, into federally-qualified health centers within their respective geographic jurisdictions needs to be developed to design a more cost effective emergent care plan for all residents in rural settings for all islands; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is requested to implement the provisions of section 323F-25, HRS, regarding the collaboration of community hospitals with community health centers within their respective geographic jurisdictions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is requested to develop a plan for the integration of certain rural hospitals, including Kohala Hospital, Hale Hoola Hamakua, Kau Hospital, Kauai Veterans Hospital at the West Kauai Medical Center, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital, into federally-qualified health centers, pursuant to section 323F-25, HRS; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is requested to report on its progress in implementing section 323F-25, HRS, regarding the collaboration of community hospitals with community health centers and submit its plan for the integration of certain hospitals into federally-qualified health centers to the legislature not later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and Chairperson of the Hawaii Health Authority.