Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 653, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to eliminate the requirement that professionals providing substance abuse treatment services as part of mandated health insurance benefits be certified as substance abuse treatment counselors by the Department of Health (DOH).

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Psychological Association, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, Kaiser Permanente, and National Association of Social Workers. The Department of Health testified in support of this measure with an amendment.

Currently, the law mandates coverage under health insurance plans for alcohol and drug dependence treatment, and provides that covered services are those administered by a physician, psychologist, clinical social worker, or advanced practice registered nurse certified as a substance abuse counselor by the DOH. Your Committee finds this credentialing requirement problematic for several reasons.

First, the law treats substance abuse services differently than other types of covered medical services for which reimbursement to providers is made under credentialing requirements determined by insurers. Further, a statutory requirement based solely on DOH certification does not allow for recognition of professional credentialing standards. Finally, requiring that substance abuse treatment be provided by a practitioner with DOH certification may limit access to treatment for individuals in rural areas or in other areas where no DOH-certified providers are practicing.

This measure addresses the above concerns by eliminating the requirement of DOH certification and requiring that services be administered by a "qualified" physician, psychologist, clinical social worker, or advanced practice registered nurse.

Your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with the language of a substantively similar, but technically different measure, S.B. No. 1129, S.D. 1.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 653, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 653, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.