Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 48 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurance coverage for naturopathic, acupuncture, and chiropractic services.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Society of Naturopathic Physicians, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, three naturopathic physicians, Hawaii Acupuncture Association, Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a licensed acupuncturist, a licensed chiropractor, and many private individuals. Testimony in support of the intent of and requesting amendments to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Association and Kaiser Permanente.

Your Committees find that consumer demand for complementary medicine, which includes naturopathy, acupuncture, and chiropractic, has increased dramatically over the past three decades, growing into a multi-billion dollar industry. Your Committees further find that these alternatives to western medicine are rooted in health care systems that have evolved through thousands of years of ongoing practice on patients who have been successfully treated for myriad health concerns.

Your Committees have amended this measure by adding a BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED clause requesting the Auditor to consider the findings in prior impact assessments conducted pursuant to sections 23-51 and 23-52, HRS, specifically report no. 88-9 relating to chiropractic services, report no. 89-25 related to naturopathic care, and report no. 95-28 related to acupuncture services.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 48, as amended herein, recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 48, S.D. 1.