HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	52
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS BOTH THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF PROPOSED MANDATED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR THE COSTS OF MEDICALLY NECESSARY TRANSPORTATION TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES FOR QUALIFYING PATIENTS.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, critically ill patients in Hawaii may require treatment on the continental United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, in these situations, commercial flights are not an option, as these patients require life-supporting equipment and a medical support team; and

 

     WHEREAS, the cost of transportation by an air ambulance can be a significant financial burden that may not be covered by health insurance; and

 

     WHEREAS, Medicaid currently covers the cost of transportation to the continental United States for Hawaii's most needy families, but other individuals and families with private health insurance do not receive comparable coverage; and

 

     WHEREAS, for many patients requiring transportation to the continental United States, their only options may be to mortgage their homes, drain retirement savings, borrow from family or friends, or establish an online fundraising campaign; and

 

     WHEREAS, during the time that a family is fundraising for a sick loved one, the patient's condition may rapidly deteriorate and reduce the chance of recovery; and

 

     WHEREAS, if a delay in treatment is too long, then the accepting facility on the continental United States may give the patient's bed to another individual, which may force the patient to find another accepting facility; and

 

     WHEREAS, due to Hawaii's unique position in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the State's residents deserve to receive life-saving medical care, including care that is only offered at facilities on the continental United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, H.B. No. 687, H.D. 2, considered during the Regular Session of 2018, proposes to require health insurance coverage for the costs of medically necessary transportation to the continental United States for qualifying patients; and

 

     WHEREAS, in testimony submitted to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce regarding H.B. No. 687, H.D. 1, the Hawaii Medical Service Association suggested that the measure be amended by amending the term "qualifying patient" to mean a patient who is, among other qualifying criteria, on medically-necessary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or mechanical circulatory support (including percutaneous ventricular assist devices and intraaortic balloon pump therapies) in order to qualify for the mandated coverage proposed in the measure; and

 

     WHEREAS, H.B. No. 687, H.D. 2, does not incorporate this requested amendment; and

 

     WHEREAS, pursuant to section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, before any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, can be considered, concurrent resolutions shall be passed that designate a specific legislative bill for the Auditor to prepare a report, which is commonly known as a "sunrise review", for submission to the Legislature that assesses both the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage under that legislative bill; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the Auditor is requested to assess, pursuant to section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, both the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated health insurance coverage under H.B. No. 687, H.D. 2, Regular Session of 2018, which requires insurance coverage for the costs of medically necessary transportation to the continental United States for qualifying patients; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the course of conducting its assessment, the Auditor is requested to assess the social and financial effects of amending the existing definition of the term "qualifying patient", as it appears in H.B. No. 687, H.D. 2, to include a provision that requires a patient be on medically-necessary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or mechanical circulatory support (including percutaneous ventricular assist devices and intraaortic balloon pump therapies) to qualify for the mandated covered benefit proposed in the measure; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor.

Report Title: 

Mandated Coverage; Health Insurance; Transportation; Auditor; Impact Assessment Report