Bill Text: HI SB2120 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: CHIP; Physician Services; Payments Increase; Appropriation

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-03-22 - (H) 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 Chang, Herkes, Nakashima excused (3). [SB2120 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB2120-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2101

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2120

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2120 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Provide funding to increase payments for physicians providing services to Medicaid-eligible individuals, including fee-for-service, QUEST physician services, and the QUEST Expanded Access program; and

 

     (2)  Require the Department of Human Services to include in its budget request for each year of the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium a sum at least equal to the sum appropriated for fiscal year 2012-2013, in addition to its baseline Medicaid request.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Consumer Family & Youth Alliance, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the Hawaii Medical Association, the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, and two individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that health care providers are not being compensated for essential services at a level sufficient to cover costs, which are annually increasing.  Increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for physicians is important to fairly compensate physicians treating Medicaid-eligible individuals and will create sufficient incentives to provide the care that these recipients require.

 

     Your Committee has requested the Department of Human Services to provide estimates for the following to provide more context of the seriousness of the issue:

 

     (1)  Estimated costs if the physician reimbursement rate was increased by five percent or ten percent; and

 

     (2)  Estimated cost savings if Medicaid rolls were reduced by five percent or ten percent.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2120 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

		____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair