Report Title:

Social Anxiety Disorder

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the legislature finds that the people of Hawaii have a right to access health care including services for treatment of social anxiety disorder; and

WHEREAS, many residents of Hawaii depend on their insurance coverage to pay for health care cut currently, coverage for social anxiety disorder is not required; and

WHEREAS, H.B. No. 229 (2001) requires that accident and sickness insurance policies, hospital and medical service plan contracts, medical service corporation contracts, and health maintenance organizations to provide health insurance coverage for the services of medically necessary treatment of social anxiety disorder; and

WHEREAS, section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that before any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, can be considered there shall be concurrent resolutions passed requesting the Auditor to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report assessing the social and financial effects of proposed mandated medical insurance coverage; and

WHEREAS, that the auditor's report include at a minimum information identifying the:

now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that the Auditor is requested to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report of findings and recommendations pursuant to this Concurrent Resolution prior to the convening of the 2002 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor and to the Insurance Commissioner, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to each insurer, mutual benefit society, and health maintenance organization in the State that provides health insurance coverage.