CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 153-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 3236

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 3236, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAID PATIENT CARE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to provide a one-time enhanced payment equal to fifteen percent of the Medicaid patient payments of fiscal year 2022-2023 made to any eligible facility in the State that provides care to Medicaid patients in a Medicare-certified nursing facility, community care foster family home, and expanded adult residential care home.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created significant staffing and financial strains for Hawaii's long-term care facilities. The one-time enhanced payment provided by this measure will help these facilities stabilize and attract qualified workers and improve health outcomes for vulnerable facility residents.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Eliminating the fifteen percent cap for the one-time enhanced payments;

(2) Clarifying that the one-time enhanced payment will be made to state-licensed skilled nursing facilities, community care foster family homes, and expanded adult residential care homes that are caring for Medicaid patients;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(4) Inserting an appropriation amount of $18,000,000;

(5) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2022; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3236, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3236, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA Co-Chair	____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair
____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE Co-Chair	____________________________ DRU KANUHA Co-Chair
____________________________ STACELYNN K. M. ELI Co-Chair