Hawaii-2020-SB1032-Introduced

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1032
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that early screening for dementia provides many advantages, including the potential for reversing or treating certain types of dementia as well as providing adequate care for the patient.

The legislature further finds that Alzheimer's disease accounts for sixty to eighty per cent of all instances of dementia. As of 2018, there were approximately twenty-eight thousand people living with Alzheimer's disease in Hawaii. The estimated cost to Medicare for emergency department visits and hospital stays for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias is $17,617.

The legislature also finds that native Hawaiians experience significant health care disparities resulting in a significantly shorter life expectancy than the general national population.

The purpose of this Act is to launch a dementia screening and awareness pilot program to promote and encourage screenings through a public awareness campaign to help increase screening rates statewide. The pilot program will prioritize the screening of residents with native Hawaiian ancestry and other demographic groups that experience health care disparities, particularly the medically uninsured.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established the dementia screening and awareness pilot program, to be administered by the department of health. The pilot program shall:

(1) Provide public education to:

(A) Promote dementia screening; and

(B) Provide specific education to people of native Hawaiian ancestry and other demographic groups that experience disparities in access to health care;

(2) Collaborate with health care providers to integrate dementia screening into their standard practice; and

(3) Partner with health care providers to screen eligible participants, as described in subsection (b).

(b) To be an eligible participant to receive screening pursuant to subsection (a)(3), a person shall:

(1) Be at least fifty years of age, or have a high risk for dementia if under the age of fifty;

(2) Be uninsured, or if insured have coverage that does not cover the full cost of dementia screenings;

(3) Not be eligible for medical assistance; and

(4) Have a gross family income at or below two hundred fifty per cent of the federal poverty level.

(1) A family history of dementia;

(2) Ever received a significant head injury;

(3) Been diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol; or

(4) Other predisposing factors, as determined by the department of health.

(d) The department of health shall submit to the legislature:

(1) A preliminary report no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2020 on the expenditure of funds for the dementia screening and awareness pilot program as of the date of the report; and

(2) A final report no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2021 on the expenditure of all funds for the dementia screening and awareness pilot program as of the date of the final report.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $400,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the dementia screening and awareness pilot program established pursuant to this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2021.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________