LEGISLATURE 2003 STATUS REPORT
Health

Advertiser Staff

Lawmakers closed the 2003 legislative session Thursday after taking action on hundreds of bills. Here are many of the more significant bills.

Bills that passed will be sent to Gov. Linda Lingle for signature or veto. Lawmakers can override a veto by a two-thirds vote of each house.

Long-term care
(SB 1088 SD2 HD2 CD1)

Establishes a long-term-care income tax of $120 a year, which would increase to $276 a year by the end of 2011. Those who pay the tax for 10 years would be eligible for the full $70-a-day cash benefit for up to one year. The cash benefit would grow to $83.58 per day in 2013.

The bill would also create a tax credit of up to $120 a year for five years and a credit of up to $180 a year for the following five years for people who pay the tax and purchase a long-term-care insurance policy.

Unannounced care home inspections
(HB 914 HD2 SD1 CD1)

Requires the state Department of Health to conduct surprise annual "visits" of care homes to check on the health and welfare of care home clients. Also gives the department discretion over whether to give care home operators notice of an inspection for relicensing purposes. Currently care home operators are allowed to know the month and day of the week of an inspection.

Mental health parity
(SB 1321 HD2 CD1)

Makes permanent a law that requires insurance coverage for serious mental illnesses to be the same as that provided for other medical conditions.

Emergency contraceptives
(SB 658 SD1 HD3)

Requires hospitals that provide emergency care to sex assault victims to inform them about emergency contraception and provide it if requested.

Pharmacy contraceptives
(HB 123 HD1 SD1)

Allows pharmacists to dispense emergency contraceptives.

Nursing loans
(SB 748 SD2 HD2 CD1)

Establishes a nursing education loan program to provide loans for eligible nursing students.

Cancer detection
(SB 1446 SD2 HD1 CD1)

Creates a revolving fund for developing and assisting the development of healthcare and biomedical technology to detect cancer, including cervical cancer, in its early stages.

Center for Nursing
(HB 422 HD2 SD2 CD1)

Establishes a center for nursing at the University of Hawai'i which would be required to conduct research on workforce issues for nurses and other health personnel.

Smoking ban

Prohibits public employees from smoking tobacco in all public schools, school transportation, and all school-sponsored functions. Allows smoking during school functions so long as it is in an enclosed room not on school property and not around a student.

Long-term-care tax credit

Provides long-term-care insurance policyholders a tax credit equal to 50 percent of their long-term-care insurance premiums or $2,500, whichever is less.

Universal healthcare

Creates a state authority to roll public and private health insurance coverages into a state-run insurance fund.

Nurse overtime

Prohibits nurses from being required to work overtime.

Long-term-care tax credit

Administration bill would provide long-term-care insurance policyholders a tax credit of up to 30 percent of insurance premiums.

Tobacco settlement money

Increases the portion of tobacco settlement monies going to the Hawai'i tobacco prevention and control trust fund and decrease the portion allocated to the emergency and budget reserve fund.