Bill Text: HI SR119 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Auditor report comparing Medicaid and Prepaid Health Care Act

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-04-08 - (S) Resolution Adopted. [SR119 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SR119-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2931

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 119

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.R. No. 119 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTS THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR TO REVIEW AND COMPARE THE HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM, THE PREPAID HEALTH CARE ACT, AND THE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS OF THE EMPLOYER-UNION TRUST FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Office of the Auditor to review and compare the health care benefits available under the Medicaid program, the Prepaid Health Care Act, and the health care programs of the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by two individuals.  Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by one private organization.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that exploring the available options for health care that are accessible to the people of Hawaii will provide for a potential cost savings and improvement in the quality of health care that is received.  Your Committee also finds that in conjunction with the sweeping health care reform recently passed by Congress, now is the appropriate time for the State to explore various mechanisms that would enable the State to provide health care to more people in Hawaii at an affordable cost.  For example, analysis of the impact of Hawaii raising its eligibility criteria for Medicaid coverage to three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level under the Section 1115, U.S.C.A. Title 42, waiver program could provide valuable feedback.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Amending its title to delete health care programs of the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund;

 

     (2)  Removing all references to the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund;

 

     (3)  Adding a request to analyze the federal health care reform recently passed by Congress to determine its potential impact on the people of Hawaii; and

 

     (4)  Deleting the request to determine the feasibility of coverage for public sector employees and their families earning less than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level under Medicaid.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 119, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 119, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor,

 

		____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair