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

(1)  Have as a principal function the responsibilityfor promoting accessibility for all the people of the State to quality healthcare services at reasonable cost.  The state agency shall conduct such studiesand investigations as may be necessary as to the causes of health care costsincluding inflation.  The state agency may contract for services to implementthis paragraph. The certificate of need program mandated under part V shallserve this function.  The state agency shall promote the sharing of facilitiesor services by health care providers whenever possible to achieve economies andshall restrict unusual or unusually costly services to individual facilities orproviders where appropriate;

(2)  Serve as staff to and provide technicalassistance and advice to the statewide council and the subarea councils in thepreparation, review, and revision of the state health services and facilitiesplan;

(3)  Conduct the health planning activities of theState in coordination with the subarea councils, implement the state healthservices and facilities plan, and determine the statewide health needs of theState after consulting with the statewide council; and

(4)  Administer the state certificate of need programpursuant to part V.

(b)  The state agency may:

(1)  Prepare such reports and recommendations onHawaii's health care costs and public or private efforts to reduce or controlcosts and health care quality as it deems necessary.  The report may include,but not be limited to, a review of health insurance plans, the availability ofvarious kinds of health insurance and malpractice insurance to consumers, andstrategies for increasing competition in the health insurance field.

(2)  Prepare and revise as necessary the state healthservices and facilities plan.

(3)  Prepare, review, and revise the annualimplementation plan.

(4)  Assist the statewide council in the performanceof its functions.

(5)  Determine the need for new health servicesproposed to be offered within the State.

(6)  Assess existing health care services andfacilities to determine whether there are redundant, excessive, orinappropriate services or facilities and make public findings of any that arefound to be so.  The state agency shall weigh the costs of the health careservices or facilities against the benefits the services or facilities provideand there shall be a negative presumption against marginal services.

(7)  Provide technical assistance to persons, publicor private, in obtaining and filling out the necessary forms for thedevelopment of projects and programs.

(8)  Prepare reports, studies, and recommendations onemerging health issues, such as medical ethics, health care rationing, involuntarycare, care for the indigent, and standards for research and development ofbiotechnology and genetic engineering.

(9)  Conduct such other activities as are necessary tomeet the purposes of this chapter. [L 1975, c 159, pt of §2; am L 1976, c 152,§3 and c 219, §3; am L 1977, c 167, §11 and c 178, pt of §2; am L 1980, c 75,§3; am L 1982, c 245, §§1, 5; am L 1984, c 267, §4; am L 1987, c 270, §5; am L1997, c 336, §4]

 

Note

 

  Transfer of functions, duties, and employees of dispersalreview council.  L 1992, c 261, §2.