RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has an interest in assuring a healthcare safety net for its citizens; and

WHEREAS, due to intensified violence and increased substance abuse, individuals in society are experiencing more serious mental health problems, which not only affect the individual, but also impact the individual's family, friends, and co-workers; and

WHEREAS, in the larger view, the social costs of untreated mental illness are incurred in increased unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence, crime, and unsafe schools, streets, and communities; and

WHEREAS, individuals with mental illness require the assistance of trained mental health professionals and appropriate mental health services in order to improve the quality of their lives; and

WHEREAS, mental health services for uninsured and low income individuals are currently provided through medical assistance programs such as Medicaid and Hawaii QUEST; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid is a jointly-funded federal and state program that provides health coverage to aged, blind, or disabled individuals who meet (low) income and other eligibility requirements; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii QUEST is a managed care program that provides health care coverage for eligible low income individuals, pregnant women, and children; and

WHEREAS, individuals who need mental health services, however, report that they are unable to access necessary and appropriate care; and

WHEREAS, with the concept of managed care becoming a reality, the pool of licensed mental health professionals accessible to Medicaid and Hawaii QUEST participants is limited; and

WHEREAS, many of the available licensed mental health professionals limit the number of new Medicaid and Hawaii QUEST patients accepted, because of the low rates of reimbursement and significant administrative burden; and

WHEREAS, as a result, some Medicaid and Hawaii QUEST participants, particularly participants with serious mental illness, report being unable to access mental health services; and

WHEREAS, the lack of enabling services, healthcare procedures that can be used to facilitate access, including eligibility counseling, transportation, translation, and case management, also contributes to the lack of access to mental health services; and

WHEREAS, the lack of access to appropriate mental health services increases health costs, economic costs, and human costs that are borne by patients, families, and the rest of society; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to review existing policies and procedures and work with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii, School of Medicine in order to improve access to appropriate mental health services for Medicaid and Hawaii QUEST participants; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report to the Legislature of any actions taken, and findings and recommendations no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2004 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine.

Report Title:

Medicaid; QUEST; Access to Mental Health Services