STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1080-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2678

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE HEALTH INSURANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the State Health Insurance Assistance Program to expand the program by contracting with third-party service providers and staffing consultants and recruiting more volunteers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition, AARP Hawai‘i, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a critical program that provides individuals who qualify for Medicare with reliable, unbiased, and free information on Medicare, Medicaid, other health plans, and related topics. Your Committee further finds that SHIP is staffed by only two full-time employees who train a team of over eighty dedicated volunteers to provide specialized assistance to the public free of charge. Hawaii SHIP has the least number of staff for the largest number of Medicare beneficiaries and needs to expand in order to meet the State's growing Medicare population. This measure ensures the continued stability and continuity of SHIP by appropriating state funds to expand the program, which will ensure more people have access to SHIP's valuable services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair