REPORT TITLE:
Mental health parity



DESCRIPTION:
Establishes a Hawaii Equal Insurance Task Force to study the
financial and social implications of mandated equal mental health
and substance abuse insurance coverage in Hawaii. (SB844 HD2)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        844
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  (a)  There is established, within the department
 
 2 of health for administrative purposes only, the Hawaii equal
 
 3 insurance task force to study the financial and social
 
 4 implications of mandated equal mental health and substance abuse
 
 5 insurance coverage in Hawaii.
 
 6      (b) The task force shall be comprised of the following
 
 7 seventeen members:
 
 8      (1)  One member of the senate committee on health and human
 
 9           services appointed by the president of the senate;
 
10      (2)  One member of the house of representatives committee on
 
11           health appointed by the speaker of the house of
 
12           representatives;
 
13      (3)  One member from each of the following organizations and
 
14           agencies appointed by the governor: 
 
15           (a)  Hawaii Medical Service Association;
 
16           (b)  Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program;
 
17           (c)  Department of human services;
 
18           (d)  Department of health;
 
19           (e)  Equal Insurance Coalition;
 

 
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 1           (f)  Hawaii Psychological Association;
 
 2           (g)  Hawai'i Nurses Association;
 
 3           (h)  Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii;
 
 4      (4)  Two members representing mental health consumers, one
 
 5           member representing community-based mental health
 
 6           providers, and one physician representing the Hawaii
 
 7           Psychiatric Medical Association, each appointed by the
 
 8           task force following the convening of the task force's
 
 9           first meeting;
 
10      (5)  One member representing the state auditor's office
 
11           designated by the auditor;
 
12      (6)  One member representing the Hawaii public employees
 
13           health fund; and
 
14      (7)  The insurance commissioner.
 
15      (c)  The task force shall investigate:
 
16      (1)  Ways to define and quantify unmet mental health and
 
17           substance abuse needs in the State, and recommend
 
18           meaningful ways to measure the efficacy of treatment of
 
19           mental health and substance abuse needs by analyzing
 
20           possible outcome data collection measures, including an
 
21           analysis of individuals who have exhausted their mental
 
22           health or substance abuse treatment benefits;
 

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 2
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 1      (2)  The costs of mental health and substance abuse coverage
 
 2           in relation to other health care insurance and the
 
 3           extent of such coverage, including deductibles and
 
 4           copayments, disorders and conditions to be covered, and
 
 5           other pertinent issues;
 
 6      (3)  Mental health and substance abuse utilization according
 
 7           to treatment utilization by adults, adolescents, and
 
 8           children; and
 
 9      (4)  The positive and negative effects on mental health care
 
10           recipients, substance abuse services consumers, and the
 
11           general population of the State with mandated mental
 
12           health and substance abuse parity insurance coverage in
 
13           the State.
 
14      (d) The task force shall not utilize any moneys from the
 
15 general fund to support its functions.  Members shall serve
 
16 without compensation.
 
17      (e)  A simple majority of the members of the task force
 
18 shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and
 
19 all actions of the task force shall require the affirmative vote
 
20 of a majority of the members present.
 
21      (f)  The task force may hold public hearings as frequently
 
22 as deemed necessary and feasible to receive testimony on issues
 
23 relative to the task force's investigation.
 

 
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 1      (g)  The task force shall submit a report of its findings
 
 2 and recommendations to the speaker of the house of
 
 3 representatives, the president of the senate, and the governor no
 
 4 later than twenty days before the convening of regular session of
 
 5 2000.
 
 6      (h)  The task force shall be dissolved upon submittal of its
 
 7 report described in subsection (g).
 
 8      SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 9 New statutory material is underscored.
 
10      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect       .