THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2285

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE STATE HEALTH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 323D-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

     ""Health care" means the improvement of a person's health through the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, or other physical and mental impairment, regardless of the setting in which those services are delivered. "Health care" includes oral health, behavioral health, and long-term care."

     SECTION 2.  Section 323D-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§323D-12  Health planning and development functions; state agency.  (a)  The state agency shall:

     (1)  Have as a principal function the responsibility for promoting [accessibility for all the people of the State to quality health care services at reasonable cost.  The state agency shall conduct such studies and investigations as may be necessary as to the causes of health care costs including inflation.  The state agency may contract for services to implement this paragraph. The certificate of need program mandated under part V shall serve this function.  The state agency shall promote the sharing of facilities or services by health care providers whenever possible to achieve economies and shall restrict unusual or unusually costly services to individual facilities or providers where appropriate;] universal access to high‑quality, equitable, and affordable health care for all the people of the State;

     (2)  [Serve as staff to and provide technical assistance and advice to the statewide council and the subarea councils in the preparation, review, and revision of the state health services and facilities plan;] Provide, throughout state government, leadership and coordination of activities and resources that affect health care access and quality, including health insurance coverage rates, health insurance benefits, affordability, workforce health, reimbursements, quality, administrative simplification, workforce development, and health information technology;

     (3)  [Conduct the health planning activities of the State in coordination with the subarea councils, implement the state health services and facilities plan, and determine the statewide health needs of the State after consulting with the statewide council; and] Establish a state health services, workforce, and facilities plan and update that plan every four years following consultation with the statewide council;

     (4)  Administer the state certificate of need program pursuant to part V[.], and serve as staff to and provide technical assistance and advice for the statewide council and subarea councils; and

     (5)  Develop an annual state global budget based on total costs of health care to:

          (A)  Prevent costs from rising faster than general inflation; and

          (B)  Assure affordability of health care services;

          provided that the plan shall be developed no later than 2025 and shall be updated annually thereafter; provided further that the plan shall be developed and updated in consultation with the governor, department of budget and finance, the board of trustees of the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund, and all administrators of public and private health plans and providers of health insurance coverage.

     (b)  The state agency may:

     (1)  Prepare [such reports and recommendations]:

          (A)  Reports;

          (B)  Related health statistics as necessary to monitor and improve health care access, outcomes, equity, quality, costs, and cost‑effectiveness; and

          (C)  Recommendations,

          on Hawaii's health care costs and public or private efforts to reduce or control costs and improve health care quality as [it] the state agency deems necessary.  [The] A report may include[, but not be limited to,] a review of health insurance plans, the availability of various kinds of health insurance and malpractice insurance to consumers, and strategies for increasing competition in the health insurance field[.] and across the health care delivery system;

    [(2)  Prepare and revise as necessary the state health services and facilities plan.

     (3)  Prepare, review, and revise the annual implementation plan.

     (4)] (2)  Assist the statewide council in the performance of its functions[.];

    [(5)] (3)  Determine the need for new health services proposed to be offered within the State[.];

    [(6)] (4)  Assess existing health care services and facilities to determine whether there are redundant, excessive, or inappropriate services or facilities and make public findings of any that are found to be so.  The state agency shall weigh the costs of the health care services or facilities against the benefits the services or facilities provide and there shall be a negative presumption against marginal services[.];

    [(7)] (5)  Provide technical assistance to persons, public or private, in obtaining and filling out the necessary forms for the development of projects and programs[.];

    [(8)] (6)  Prepare reports, studies, and recommendations on emerging health issues, such as medical ethics, health care rationing, involuntary care, care for the indigent, and standards for research and development of biotechnology [and], genetic engineering[.], remote monitoring, artificial intelligence, and workforce development; and

    [(9)] (7)  Conduct [such] other activities as are necessary to meet the purposes of this chapter."

     SECTION 3.  In accordance with section 9 of article VII, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii and sections 37-91 and 37-93, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the legislature has determined that the appropriation contained in this Act 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 the appropriation made in this Act is necessary to serve the public interest and to meet the needs provided for by this Act.

     SECTION 4.  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 for administrative costs and to establish the following positions within the state health planning and development agency:

     (1)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) administrative specialist IV position;

     (2)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) research statistician VI position, who shall serve as a state healthcare informatician;

     (3)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) research statistician V position, who shall serve as an administrative data specialist;

     (4)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) program specialist VI position, who shall serve as a state health planner;

     (5)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) program specialist IV position, who shall serve as a health planning liaison for the county of Hawaii;

     (6)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) program specialist IV position, who shall serve as a health planning liaison for the county of Kauai;

     (7)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) program specialist IV position, who shall serve as a health planning liaison for the county of Maui; and

     (8)  One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) program specialist IV position, who shall serve as a health planning liaison for the city and county of Honolulu.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on December 31, 2050.



 

Report Title:

Department of Health; SHPDA; Function and Duties; Positions; General Fund Expenditure Ceiling Exceeded; Appropriation

 

Description:

Amends the functions and duties of the State Health Planning and Development Agency.  Clarifies the definition of "health care".  Establishes positions.  Appropriates moneys.  Declares that the appropriation exceeds the state general fund expenditure ceiling for 2024-2025.  Effective 12/31/2050.  (SD2)

 

 

 

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