STAND. COM. REP. NO. 543

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1474

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1474 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAID,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the achievement of full funding, including estimated payment increases, of Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services support low income kupuna and individuals with disabilities who need assistance with activities of daily living such as getting dressed and bathing, preparing and eating meals, and tending to chores in the home. Recipients of Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services are able to remain in their home and community. However, Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services direct care workers are often paid extremely low wages and have few opportunities for training and career advancement, leading to high turnover, worker shortages, and limited availability for service providers. This measure appropriates funds for the achievement of full funding, including estimated payment increases, of Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services to ensure that kupuna and individuals with disabilities continue to receive services while also supporting direct care workers who provide valuable community services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount; and

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

Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it considers inserting an appropriation amount of $30,210,000 for the achievement of full funding, including estimated payment increases, of Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1474, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1474, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair