STAND. COM. REP. NO. 197-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2728

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 Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 2728 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTHCARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Hui Hoomana Task Force to identify actionable priorities and financial resources to offer the State's residents universal access to affordable, high-quality health care and health insurance.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Executive Office on Aging; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hawaiʻi County Subarea Health Planning Council; The Queen's Health System; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; Hawaii Medical Association; Rainbow Family 808; and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Pacific Health; and Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that the State's residents deserve universal and equitable access to affordable, high-quality health care. However, in 2024, approximately 80,000 Hawaii residents are uninsured. Your Committee further finds that many of Hawaii's residents face numerous barriers to accessing health care and health insurance, including high insurance costs for individuals and employers, confusing regulatory and administrative requirements, lower provider reimbursement rates, and growing stress on the health care work force. Your Committee believes that the establishment of the Hui Hoomana Task Force will be an effective mechanism to outline processes and procedures that would move the State in the direction of universal access to equitable and affordable high quality health care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Extending the date for the submission of the final report of the Hui Hoomana Task Force to the Legislature to no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026;

(2) Delaying the expiration of the Hui Hoomana Task Force to July 1, 2026;

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests for the State Health Planning and Development Agency to provide further information to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, should it deliberate on this measure, regarding the application with MedQUEST for the large federal grant that is due in March 2024.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2728, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2728, 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 & Homelessness,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair