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HR 34

REQUESTING THE HEALTH DATA ADVISORY COUNCIL TO CONFIRM THE NUMBER OF UNINSURED CHILDREN STATEWIDE AND PER COUNTY IN 2025 AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES MED-QUEST DIVISION TO ESTIMATE COSTS AND COLLABORATE WITH THE STATE HEALTH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ON POLICY CHANGES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Terez Amato and 6 co-sponsors

Hawaii orders health agencies to count uninsured children by county and develop policy proposals to achieve universal child health insurance coverage.

Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1819), recommending adoption.
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Bill Summary · HR 34

Legislative bill overview

HR 34 directs Hawaii's Health Data Advisory Council to count uninsured children statewide and by county in 2025, and requests the Department of Human Services' Med-Quest Division to estimate costs and work with the State Health Planning and Development Agency on policy changes to achieve universal health insurance coverage for children.

Why is this important

Accurate data on uninsured children is foundational for developing targeted health policy and understanding whether coverage gaps exist. This resolution establishes baseline information and initiates inter-agency collaboration to potentially expand children's health insurance access, which affects child health outcomes, family financial stability, and state healthcare costs.

Potential points of contention

  • Data collection scope and methodology: Defining "uninsured" (lacking any coverage vs. lacking comprehensive coverage) and ensuring accurate county-level counts could be technically challenging and subject to interpretation disputes
  • Cost estimates and fiscal feasibility: The financial burden of achieving universal child coverage could be substantial; disagreement may arise over whether estimated costs are realistic and how the state would fund any resulting programs
  • Policy implementation timelines: Moving from data collection to actual policy changes requires legislative action; some may view this resolution as symbolic rather than binding, questioning whether it will translate into concrete reforms

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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