Bill Text: HI SB1176 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Bill 1176 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Licensure; Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies; Bidding Program; Office of Health Care Assurance

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-28 - Referred to HTH/CPN, WAM. [SB1176 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-SB1176-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1176
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to licensure of durable medical equipment suppliers.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that medicare beneficiaries in Hawaii are experiencing a reduction in access to quality care as a result of the change in the way medicare purchases its durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies. Round two of medicare's durable medical equipment competitive bidding program began July 1, 2013, in the city and county of Honolulu. The unintended consequences of the implementation of this national program in Honolulu have been disastrous.

Only thirteen of the ninety-seven vendors selected are located within the State. The minimum shipping time is two to four days and the typical wait time for physician-ordered wheelchairs and hospital beds is four to eight weeks. These vendors do not have special phone or service hours to account for the time difference, which means that when medicare beneficiaries in Hawaii call after 11:00 a.m. during certain months of the year, the offices are closed. Without access to timely, local services, medicare beneficiaries in Hawaii have been forced to forego necessary durable medical equipment devices. This restricted access to care has led to reductions in health, increases in preventable admissions and readmissions, and increases in costs to beneficiaries and the medicare system, impacting on quality of life for medicare patients.

The national bidding program has the laudable intention of cutting down on fraud and abuse and reducing medicare costs nationally. However, a reduction in cost by 12 to 56 per cent in Hawaii is unsustainable given the fixed costs of higher rent, utilities, and shipping costs that businesses in Hawaii face. Hawaii's fees are now on par with those in the Washington, D.C. area, even though the cost of living index in Honolulu is 21.4 per cent higher than Washington, D.C.

The legislature further finds that medicare costs in Hawaii were already low. A review of 2011 fee-for-service medicare spending for durable medical equipment shows that Hawaii has the lowest per capita durable medical equipment cost in the nation. On average, each Hawaii beneficiary consumes only $82.54 in durable medical equipment, compared with $230.16 nationally. Furthermore, the total medicare cost for a Hawaii beneficiary, on average, is only $530.98, compared with $792.99 nationally.

The office of health care assurance is organized under the state department of health under chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to perform all state licensing activities for health care facilities, agencies, and organizations in Hawaii, including conducting all on-site state licensing surveys and medicare certification surveys on behalf of the U.S. centers for medicare and medicaid services.

The purpose of this Act is to provide for licensure of durable medical equipment suppliers participating in the nationwide competitive bidding program under oversight of the office of health care assurance. Due to exigent circumstances, the legislature finds that this licensure program is needed immediately to ensure that Hawaii's patients have timely access to the critical, life-sustaining medical supplies they need and should therefore be exempt from section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"PART . DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER LICENSING AND PATIENT PROTECTION PROGRAM

§321- Title. This part shall be known and may be cited as the "Durable Medical Equipment Supplier Licensing and Patient Protection Program".

§321- Findings and declaration of necessity. It is the intent of the legislature to establish standards for the licensing of durable medical equipment suppliers participating in the nationwide competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies established by section 302 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 to protect medical patients in the State from life-threatening delays in receiving life-sustaining durable medical equipment that must be shipped from the mainland.

§321- Definitions. As used in this part:

"Appropriate physical location" means a physical facility within the boundaries of the State used to store durable medical equipment inventory.

"Durable medical equipment" means equipment that can stand repeated use, is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose, is generally not useful to a person in the absence of an illness or injury, and is appropriate for use in the home.

"Supplier" means a supplier of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and related supplies participating in the nationwide competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies established by section 302 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

§321- Licensing. (a) All suppliers of durable medical equipment shall be licensed.

(b) A supplier of durable medical equipment shall be deemed licensed if:

(1) The supplier maintains an appropriate physical location within the State;

(2) The supplier has passed an annual inspection performed by the office of health care assurance; and

(3) The supplier is registered to do business in the State.

§321- Annual inspection. (a) The office of health care assurance shall perform an inspection of all durable medical equipment suppliers participating in the nationwide durable medical equipment competitive bidding program licensed pursuant to this part.

(b) The inspection shall consist of:

(1) Confirmation that the durable medical equipment supplier maintains an appropriate physical location within the State;

(2) Confirmation that the durable medical equipment supplier maintains a working local telephone number;

(3) Confirmation that a full-time employee is available to Hawaii residents during normal local business hours to answer customer inquiries; and

(4) Confirmation that the durable medical equipment supplier is registered with the business registration division of the department of commerce and consumer affairs to do business in the State.

§321- Supplier duties. (a) A durable medical equipment supplier and its agents shall have a good faith duty to comply with the annual inspection performed by the office of health care assurance.

(b) A durable medical equipment supplier shall register its business with the business registration division of the department of commerce and consumer affairs and shall provide a copy of a current business registration to the office of health care assurance during its annual inspection.

§321- Severability. If any provision of this part or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the other provisions or application, and to this end the provisions of this part are severable."

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Licensure; Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies; Bidding Program; Office of Health Care Assurance

Description:

Establishes licensure requirement for durable medical equipment suppliers participating in the nationwide competitive bidding program through an annual inspection by the office of health care assurance.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.