STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2503

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2678

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2678 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, Policy Advisory Board on Elder Affairs, AARP Hawai‘i, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, and thirteen individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) helps individuals who qualify for Medicare to make informed decisions about health insurance decisions. SHIP has only two full time employees and is staffed by eighty-four trained volunteers. However, SHIP needs to expand to meet the growing demand, particularly as more baby boomers become eligible for Medicare. Therefore, this measure appropriates funds to the Executive Office of Aging to expand SHIP.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2678, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair