STAND. COM. REP. NO.470
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: S.B. No. 949
S.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 949 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH AND ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to make permanent the amendments made in Act 243, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, requiring parity in insurance benefits for serious mental illness, and alcohol and drug treatment by removing the sunset date.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the National Association of Social Workers; Hawaii Psychological Association; and one concerned citizen. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Testimony opposing this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA).
Your Committees find that Chapter 431M, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), relating to mental health and alcohol and drug abuse treatment insurance benefits, was enacted by Act 202, Session Laws of Hawaii 1988, and was to be repealed on July 1, 1994. The sunset provision was subsequently extended twice, until finally repealed by Act 239, Session Laws of Hawaii 2002, thereby making Chapter 431M, HRS, permanent.
Your Committees further find that Act 121, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999, amended section 431M-5, HRS, to require parity in insurance benefits for serious mental illness, as applied to other medical or surgical conditions. This amendment was to sunset on July 1, 2005, but the sunset date was moved up to June 30, 2003, by Act 243, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000 (Act 243). Act 243 also made clarifying amendments to section 431M-5, HRS, which are to be repealed June 30, 2003.
Your Committees find that the parity provisions of section 431M-5, HRS, should be made permanent in order to be consistent with the permanency of Chapter 431M, HRS.
Your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Adding a section to the measure that expands the definition of "serious mental illness" in section 431M-1, HRS, to include delusional disorder, major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and dissociative disorder;
(2) Clarifying in the definition of "serious mental illness" in section 431M-1, HRS, that both bipolar types I and II qualify as "serious mental illness";
(3) Making the amendment to section 431:2-216, HRS, relating to the assessment of health insurers, enacted under Act 243, permanent; and
(4) Changing the effective date from upon approval to June 29, 2003.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 949, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 949, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,
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____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair |
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair |
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