HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	98
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONSIDER THE CHARGING OF REASONABLE LICENSING FEES TO HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.

 

 

     WHEREAS, healthcare facilities represent a critical sector of Hawaii's health care industry; and

 

     WHEREAS, section 321-15.2 defines “healthcare facility” as a facility or setting where a frail, elderly, or disabled adult receives care or is provided living accommodations such as a skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, adult residential care home, expanded adult residential care home, assisted living facility, home health agency, home care agency, hospice, adult day health center, special treatment facility, therapeutic living program, intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, hospital, rural health center, and rehabilitation agency; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is expected that the Department of Health will impose a licensing fee on healthcare facilities to fund the administrative costs associated with home care licensing requirements; and

 

     WHEREAS, licensing fees for healthcare facilities vary widely from state to state, with some states not charging for license applications and others charging thousands of dollars regardless of the number of patients served; and

 

     WHEREAS, licensing fees in Hawaii could reach thousands of dollars and create a significant barrier for any individual desiring to enter into or remain in the selfless field of care-giving, particularly for adult residential care homes, expanded adult residential care homes; and

 

     WHEREAS, a licensing fee barrier to entering the healthcare facility field would limit the number of available home care agencies and harm the very people the licensing requirements were enacted to protect; and

 

     WHEREAS, any licensing fee would simply be passed to the patients and, since many healthcare facility patients receive government assistance to fund their care, any licensing fee would just result in transferring money from one government agency to another; and

 

     WHEREAS, if healthcare facilities, particularly adult residential care homes, expanded adult residential care homes are forced out of business, their patients will go to other forms of health care providers, and, in turn, strain the State's capacity to provide quality health care; and

 

     WHEREAS, many community organizations, such as the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, have spoken against the potentially devastating effects of a licensing fee on a disproportionately large number of existing healthcare facilities, particularly adult residential care homes, expanded adult residential care homes; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, that the Department of Health is urged to consider charging reasonable licensing fees to healthcare facilities; and

 

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

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Health; Home Care Agencies; Licensing Fees