STATE OF HAWAII
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
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 (DHS) will hold a public hearing to consider a new rule of the Med-QUEST Division for the purpose of conforming to State and Federal Statutes.
The proposed amended rule is based on the approval of the State Plan Amendment (SPA) HI-22-008 to implement Section 9812 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (PL 117-2), expanding the postpartum care coverage period from sixty days to twelve months. Brief descriptions of the proposed rules are listed below.
CHAPTER 17-1716 PREGNANT WOMEN GROUP
The proposed amendments in Chapter 17-1716 include adding and modifying of sections and subsections to codify and make explicit the existing Pregnant Women requirements. A brief description of the significant proposed action follows:
1. §17-1716-10, Categorical Requirements. Subsection (d) has been deleted, and the requirement from subsection (d) has been added to section 17-1716-13 instead. Subsection (a) has been amended to clarify that “Pregnant woman”, means a woman who is in the pregnancy period or is in the post-partum, which begins on the date the pregnancy ends, and continues for twelve months through the last day of the month in which the twelve month period ends.
2. §17-1716-13, Eligibility Review Requirements. This section states the Eligibility requirements of the program. This section has been amended to clarify that eligibility under this chapter shall continue throughout the pregnancy and the post-partum period. The post-partum period begins on the date the pregnancy ends, and continuous for twelve months through the last day of the month in which the twelve month period ends instead of for sixty days under the current rules.
A public hearing will be held at the following time and place:
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: 601 Kamokila Blvd., Conference Rooms 577A and 577B
Kapolei, Hawaii 96707
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, two (2) copies shall be made available to the presiding officer at or before the public hearing to:
Department of Human Services
Attention: Policy and Program Development Office
Med-QUEST Division
P.O. Box 700190
Kapolei, Hawaii 96709-0190
Residents of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Molokai wishing to present oral testimonies and unable to travel to the hearing in person, may contact the Med-QUEST Division on the respective islands no later than seven (7) days before the Honolulu hearing date to pre-record their testimony which will be played at the hearing:
East Hawaii Section Maui Section
1404 Kilauea Avenue Millyard Plaza
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 210 Imi Kala Street, Suite 101
(808) 933-0339 Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
(808) 243-5780
West Hawaii Section Molokai Section
Lanihau Professional Center State Civic Center
75-5591 Palani Road, Suite 3004 65 Makaena Place, Room 110
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748
(808) 327-4970 (808) 553-1758
Kauai Section Lanai Section
Dynasty Court 730 Lanai Avenue
4473 Pahee Street, Suite A Lanai City, Hawaii 96763
Lihue, Hawaii 96766 (808) 553-1758
(808) 241-3575
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
Attention: Program and Development Office
P. O. Box 700190
Kapolei, Hawaii 96709-0190
Or by calling (808) 692-8058. 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 Advertiser, Hawaii Tribune Herald, The Maui News, and The Garden Island, through the
day the public hearing is held, from Monday – Friday between the hours of
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 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 between the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Proposed rules are also available at the Virtual Rules Center located at the following website:
http://humanservices.hawaii.gov/admin-rules-2/proposed-rules/
Special accommodations (i.e. Sign Language Interpreter, large print, taped materials, or accessible parking) can be made, if requested no later than seven (7) working days before the scheduled public hearing on Oahu by calling (808) 692-8058. Neighbor island residents needing special accommodations should contact the
Med-QUEST Division Sections on the respective islands with their requests.
If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, contact Emelinia Mauricio via phone at (808) 692-8058 or email at PPDO@dhs.hawaii.gov as soon as possible, preferably by September 12, 2023. If a response is received after September 12, 2023, we will try to obtain the auxiliary aid/service or accommodation, but we cannot guarantee that the request will be fulfilled.
Upon request, this notice is available in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, or electronic copy.
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
CATHY BETTS, DIRECTOR
(HTH1425474 8/18/23)
