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

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

(2) Serve as staff to and provide technical assistance and advice to the statewide council and the subarea councils in the preparation, review, and revision of the state health services and facilities plan;

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

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

(b) The state agency may:

(1) Prepare such reports and recommendations on Hawaii's health care costs and public or private efforts to reduce or control costs 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 of various kinds of health insurance and malpractice insurance to consumers, and strategies for increasing competition in the health insurance field.

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

(3) Prepare, review, and revise the annual implementation plan.

(4) Assist the statewide council in the performance of its functions.

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

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

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

(8) Prepare reports, studies, and recommendations on emerging health issues, such as medical ethics, health care rationing, involuntary care, care for the indigent, and standards for research and development of biotechnology and genetic engineering.

(9) Conduct such other activities as are necessary to meet 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 L 1997, c 336, §4]