STAND. COM. REP. NO. 14-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2215

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2215 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAID,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Increase funding of certain Medicaid home and community-based services, including case management services for home and community-based case management agencies and residential services offered in community care foster family homes and expanded adult residential care homes; and

(2) Require the Department of Human Services to obtain maximum federal matching funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support to this measure from the Department of Human Services; AARP Hawaiʻi; CMC Kafamilya Adult Foster Home; Adult Foster Homecare Association of Hawaii; United Community Heathcare of Hawaii; Community Homecare Association of Hawaii; Alliance of Residential Care Administrators; Alliance of Professional Primary Care Administrators; The Primary Care Providers of Hawaii; Providing Healthy Homecare for Hawaii; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from five individuals.

Your Committee finds that most Hawaii residents would prefer to age in their homes or in a home and community-based setting, such as one of Hawaii's over sixteen hundred community care foster family homes or adult residential care homes. Your Committee further finds that home and community-based setting providers are the backbone of the State's long-term care delivery system. However, many of these providers have not seen an increase in reimbursement rates for over fifteen years. Increasing the funding for services offered in certain home and community-based settings will ensure that caregivers in the community can continue to offer care and support to the State's elderly and disabled.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the purpose of the appropriation to delete case management services for home and community-based case management agencies and instead include adult day programs;

(2) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(3) Deleting the requirement for the Department of Human Services to pursue all funding sources, including private grants, as federal Medicaid rules prohibit most private grants as a funding source for certain Medicaid services;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $5,750,000. Your Committee notes that this amount would generate a federal funds match of approximately $8,140,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2215, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2215, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair