Bill Text: HI HB2539 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Human Services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-06 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kapela, Nakashima, Ward excused (3). [HB2539 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-HB2539-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
2539 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that most of the State's kupuna would prefer to live in their own homes for as long as they can. In-home services are key to ensuring kupuna and people with disabilities stay in their own home; these services include helping with activities of daily living such as meal preparation, cleaning, bathing, mobility support, and other forms of personal care. In a 2021 quantitative research study among Hawaii residents forty-five years of age and older, sixty-five per cent were extremely or very concerned about being able to age in place and eighty-three per cent of those surveyed said it was extremely or very important to them to stay in their homes as they get older. Helping individuals live in their own home instead of in an institutional nursing facility is also far less costly.
The legislature further finds that reimbursement rates that do not have medicare rates for equivalent services, such as in-home care services, are reviewed and determined by the department of human services at least every five years. The last review of home and community‑based reimbursement rates for residential services by the department of human services' med-QUEST division was conducted through a third-party study by the actuarial firm Milliman and reported on December 30, 2022. The study developed benchmark comparison rates for in-home services, including homemaker/companion/chore, personal care/personal assistance/attendant care, and private duty nursing by registered nurse and licensed practical nurse.
The rate studies found there is tremendous wage pressure for direct care workers for home settings, given the highly competitive labor market in the State for similar paying jobs. For all in-home provider types included in the study, current median direct care wages paid by the operators fell below the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics twenty-fifth percentile for those occupation codes and titles, except for licensed practical nurses who fell just below the fiftieth percentile.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to increase funding of medicaid in-home services. The corresponding federal matching funds will also increase, resulting in a larger impact on reimbursement received by service providers.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 to increase funding for medicaid in-home services; provided that the department of human services shall obtain the maximum federal matching funds available for this expenditure.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. In accordance with section 9 of article VII of the Hawaii State Constitution and sections 37‑91 and 37‑93, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the legislature has determined that the appropriations contained in H.B. No. , will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. In addition, the appropriation contained in this Act will cause the general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be further exceeded by $ or per cent. The combined total amount of general fund appropriations contained in only these two Acts will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. The reasons for exceeding the general fund expenditure ceiling are that:
(1) The appropriation made in this Act is necessary to serve the public interest; and
(2) The appropriation made in this Act meets the needs addressed by this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.
Report Title:
DHS; Medicaid; In-Home Services; Appropriation; Expenditure Ceiling
Description:
Appropriates funds to increase the funding for medicaid in-home services, conditioned on the Department of Human Services obtaining the maximum federal matching funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
