Hawaii DHS to Hold Public Hearing for COFA Health Plan Changes
The Department of Human Services will hold a public hearing to consider proposed amendments to existing rules, and the adoption of new rules of the Med-QUEST Division which will impact citizens of the Compact of Free Association nations.
Following a ruling in December by Circuit Court Judge Gary W.B. Chang, the State is required to follow procedures that will allow for pubic comment and criticism of the proposed rules regarding the level of benefits for Hawaii residents from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau.
The public hearing on the new rules will be at 1:30 p.m. on January 25, 2010 at the Lili`uokalani Building, Honolulu. Notice and Rules follow:
MED-QUEST DIVISION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Pursuant to sections 91-3 and 92-41, Hawaii Revised Statutes, notice is hereby given that the Department of Human Services will hold a public hearing to consider proposed amendments to existing rules, and the adoption of new rules of the Med-QUEST Division for the purpose of conforming to State and Federal Statutes.
The proposed amendments are based on State and Federal laws. Brief descriptions of the proposed changes are listed below.
CHAPTER 17-1714 – GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1. §17-1714-2, Definitions. This section is amended to add the definitions of “Basic Health Hawaii”, “COFA nation”, “federal medical assistance”, and “state medical assistance”.
2. §17-1714-28, Citizens and aliens. This section is amended by:
• Amending subsection (a) to allow federal medical assistance eligibility for citizens of a nation that has a Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreement with the United States who are under nineteen years of age or pregnant;
• Amending subsection (b) to specify that citizens of COFA nations who are nineteen years of age and older who are not pregnant can only be eligible for federal medical assistance for emergency medical services under chapter 17-1723;
• Adding new subsection (c) to specify that citizens of COFA nations who are nineteen years of age and older who are not pregnant can be eligible for state medical assistance if they meet the requirements of chapters 17-1721, 17-1721.1, 17-1726, 17-1727, 17-1728, 17-1728.1, 17-1730, 17-1732, 17-1733, and 17-1737, except for citizenship;
• Adding new subsection (d) to specify that citizens of COFA nations who are nineteen years of age and older and are not pregnant will not be eligible for state medical assistance if the eligibility determination was made on or after the first day of the month prior to the implementation of Basic Health Hawaii; and
• Adding new subsection (e) to specify that the state medical assistance program shall terminate on the last day of the month prior to the implementation of Basic Health Hawaii under chapter 17-1722.3.
CHAPTER 17-1722.3 – BASIC HEALTH HAWAII PROGRAM
Chapter 17-1722.3 establishes the Basic Health Hawaii (BHH) Program, a state funded program that will provide health care coverage to uninsured citizens of a nation that has a Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreement with the United States, and to uninsured legal permanent resident aliens, age nineteen years or older who are not pregnant, and are prohibited from participating in Federal medical assistance programs because they have resided in the United States for less than five years, under Title XIX of the Social Security Act because of the enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
This program will provide limited medical benefit coverage through a participating health plan and will have an enrollment cap of 7,000 enrollees and shall be subject to the availability of State funds.
This program will be implemented on the date as determined by the Department of Human Services but not later than July 1, 2010.
A public hearing will be held at the following time and place:
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 1:30 p.m., Liliuokalani Building, 1390 Miller Street, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms, Honolulu, Hawaii.
All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing and to state their views relative to the proposed rules either orally or in writing. Should written testimony be presented, three (3) copies shall be made available to the presiding officer at or before the public hearing to:
Department of Human Services
Med-QUEST Division
Attention: Policy and Program Development Office
P. O. Box 700190
Kapolei, Hawaii 96709-0190
Residents of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Molokai wishing to present oral testimonies may also contact the Med-QUEST Division on the respective islands no earlier than seven (7) days before the Honolulu hearing date to have their testimony recorded:
East Hawaii Section
88 Kanoelehua Avenue, Room 107
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (933-0339)
West Hawaii Section
Lanihau Professional Center
75-5591 Palani Road, Ste. 3004
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (327-4970)
Kauai Section
4473 Pahee Street, Suite A
Lihue, Hawaii 96766 (241-3575)
Maui Section
210 Imi Kala Street, Suite 101
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793 (243-5780)
Molokai Section
State Civic Center
65 Makaena Street, Room 110
Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748 (553-1758)
Lanai Unit
Call toll free 1-800-894-5755
A copy of the proposed rules will be mailed at NO COST to any interested person by requesting a copy by writing to:
Department of Human Services
Med-QUEST Division
P. O. Box 700190
Kapolei, Hawaii 96709-0190
or by calling 692-8132. Neighbor island residents may request a copy of the proposed rules at NO COST by contacting the Med-QUEST Division Sections as noted above.
A copy of the proposed rule changes will be available for public viewing from the first working day that the legal notice appears in the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Hawaii Tribune Herald, West Hawaii Today, The Maui News, and The Garden Island, through the day the public hearing is held, from Monday - Friday between the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the appropriate Med-QUEST Division offices on their respective islands listed above. On Oahu, the proposed rules will be available at 601 Kamokila Boulevard, Room 518, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707 and 801 Dillingham Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817.
Proposed rules are also available at the Virtual Rules Center located at the following website: http://www.hawaii.gov/dhs/main/har/
Special accommodations (e.g. Interpreter, sign language interpreter, large print, taped materials, or accessible parking) can be made, if requested at least seven (7) working days before the scheduled public hearing on Oahu by calling 692-8132. Neighbor island residents needing special accommodations should contact the Med-QUEST Division Sections on the respective islands with their requests.
LILLIAN B. KOLLER, DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
-------
- Yokwe Online, January 15, 2010
