THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	198
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING the Governor, the Director of Health, the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and all others working in the health care field to work together to integrate all licensed health care providers, including naturopathic, acupuncture, and eastern medicine practitioners, into the continuum of available health care options for the residents of this State.

     WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is renowned for its Aloha Spirit and is also a gathering place for many different cultures and traditions from around the world that believe in alternative forms of health care; and

     WHEREAS, alternative, complementary, and integrative forms of health care are becoming more mainstream due to consumer demand and a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating its benefits and cost-effectiveness; and

     WHEREAS, many illnesses and diseases that the people of our State face today require a multidisciplinary approach to patient care; and

     WHEREAS, the majority of health insurance companies only cover traditional, Western health care services which tend to be more expensive and pharmaceutically-based; and

     WHEREAS, patients have the right to make informed decisions regarding their medical care, including the choice of physician and type of treatment; and

     WHEREAS, many forms of alternative medicine, such as naturopathy, acupuncture, and massage therapy, require practitioners to be licensed; and

     WHEREAS, in order for the residents of Hawaii to have a choice in their health care, legislation needs to be enacted to require health insurers to cover alternative, complementary, and integrative forms of health care service; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Governor, the Director of Health, the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and all others working in the health care field, are requested to work together to integrate all licensed health care providers, including naturopathic, acupuncture, and eastern medicine practitioners, into the continuum of available health care options for the residents of this State; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor, the Director of Health, and the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs are requested to remove all barriers that may impede the integration of all licensed health care providers into the continuum of available health care options for the residents of this State; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Health, and the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Health; Integration; Licensed Health Care Providers; Naturopaths