80
THE SENATE                           S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TASK FORCE ON ALTERNATIVE
    MEDICINE.



 1        WHEREAS, alternative therapies commonly include folk
 2   medicine, herbal medicine, diet fads, homeopathy, faith
 3   healing, new age healing, chiropractic, acupuncture,
 4   naturopathy, massage, aroma therapy, and music therapy; and 
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, these therapies are often used by individuals who
 7   have HIV, arthritis, cancer, back pain, and other medical
 8   conditions; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the Journal of the American Medical Association
11   recently reported that the number of individuals in the country
12   who tried one or more alternative therapies in the previous
13   year increased from 33.8 per cent in 1990 to 42.1 per cent in
14   1997; and 
15   
16        WHEREAS, Americans make more visits to nontraditional
17   physicians, including naturopaths who claim expertise in herbal
18   and other natural therapies, than to their family doctors,
19   spending almost as much out of pocket (unreimbursed by health
20   insurance) on alternative medicine ($27,000,000,000), as on all
21   unreimbursed physician services ($29,000,000,000); and
22   
23        WHEREAS, however, the field of alternative medicine
24   remains fluid, its record is uneven, and some alternative
25   therapies, such as acupuncture, have become more accepted than
26   others; and 
27   
28        WHEREAS, for example, although herbal healing has also
29   taken hold, it is still unclear whether certain herbal remedies
30   are truly therapeutic and whether they have potentially
31   dangerous side effects; and  
32   
33        WHEREAS, Americans spent more than $12,000,000,000 on
34   natural supplements in 1997, nearly double the amount spent in
35   1994, on remedies such as St. John's wort, ginseng, echinacea,
36   ginkgo biloba, aloe, valerian, kava, and dong quai; and 
37   

 
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                                  S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        WHEREAS, the public health is dependent upon the
 2   availability, accessibility, and affordability of a variety of
 3   health care services; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, the Federal Trade Commission states that
 6   competition in the medical marketplace improves patient care
 7   and public health by stimulating the development of new and
 8   innovative health care delivery systems and integrative medical
 9   services and by providing for cost controls; and
10   
11        WHEREAS, establishing a Governor's task force on
12   alternative medicine would help to stimulate the growth of
13   alternative medicine in Hawaii in a responsible way by
14   subjecting the field to collaborative examination and
15   discussion in the community; now, therefore,
16   
17        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
18   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, that the
19   Governor is respectfully requested to establish a temporary
20   two-year task force on alternative medicine composed of members
21   appointed by the Governor, to be chaired by a representative
22   from the Department of Health, and representing the following:
23   
24        (1)  Department of Health;
25   
26        (2)  Department of Human Services;
27   
28        (3)  Department of Business, Economic Development, and
29             tourism;
30   
31        (4)  Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;
32   
33        (5)  Healthcare Association of Hawaii;
34   
35        (6)  Hawaii chapter of the American Medical Association;
36   
37        (7)  Health plans (two representatives);
38   
39        (8)  Chiropractors;
40   
41        (9)  Nurses;
42   

 
 
 
 
 
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                                  S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1       (10)  Practitioners of acupuncture;
 2   
 3       (11)  Practitioners of homeopathy;
 4   
 5       (12)  Practitioners of naturopathy;
 6   
 7       (13)  Practitioners of native Hawaiian medicine; and
 8   
 9       (14)  Practitioners of other forms of alternative medicine; 
10   
11   and
12   
13        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force examine the
14   various forms of alternative medicine and ways to stimulate the
15   growth of alternative medicine, recommend to the Governor and
16   the Legislature whether certain forms of alternative medicine
17   should be given formal recognition as a form of medicine, and
18   propose any necessary legislation; and 
19   
20        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force submit an
21   interim report to the Governor and the Legislature no later
22   than March 31, 2000, and a final report of its findings and
23   recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later
24   than November 30, 2000; and
25   
26        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force terminate on
27   the adjournment, sine die, of the Regular Session of 2001; and 
28   
29        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this
30   Resolution be transmitted to the Governor.