STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3633

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 94

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 94 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TELEHEALTH WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF WIDESPREAD TELEHEALTH ADOPTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IDENTIFY PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVES AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL TO OPTIMIZE TELEHEALTH UTILIZATION AS THE STATE TRANSITIONS OUT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the establishment of a Telehealth Working Group to:

(1) Examine the impact of widespread telehealth adoption during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic;

(2) Identify public policy initiatives at the federal and state level to optimize the telehealth utilization as the State transitions out of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

(3) Submit a report to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2025.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, The Queen's Health System, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Your Committee finds that the State experienced an increase in the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your Committee further finds that although there is some data to support the safety, efficacy, timeliness, access, and cost effectiveness of telehealth, the impact of widespread telehealth adoption in the State is largely unknown. This measure will allow the State to obtain a full evaluation of the impact of widespread telehealth adoption in the State on safety, utilization, total cost of care, and patient and provider satisfaction and greater insight into existing telehealth challenges and benefits to determine how best to integrate telehealth into in-person practice as the State transitions out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Telehealth Working Group's representative from the Professional and Vocational Licensing (PVL) Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is to be appointed by the Licensing Administrator of the PVL Division or the Licensing Administrator's designee;

(2) Inserting language to add one representative from health plans in the State to the Telehealth Working Group; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 94, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 94, S.D. 1.

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

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair