RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, alternative, complementary, and integrative forms of health care are becoming more mainstream due to consumer demand and a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating its benefits and cost-effectiveness; and

WHEREAS, state laws require health care providers to be licensed in order to receive payment for services and allow insurers to determine which services will be covered and which services need pre-authorization of licensed practitioners; and

WHEREAS, many forms of alternative medicine, such as naturopathy, acupuncture, and massage therapy, require practitioners to be licensed; and

WHEREAS, in order for the residents of Hawaii to have a choice in their health care, legislation needs to be enacted to require health insurers to cover alternative, complementary, and integrative forms of health care services; and

WHEREAS, a comparison of health care legislation in other states is essential to show trends in alternative health care insurance coverage, cost benefits experienced by other states, and guidelines for drafting new insurance plans in Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a study of health insurance coverage for naturopathy and alternative health care in all fifty states; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this study shall include a comparison of health insurance coverage mandated by other states for naturopathy and alternative health care, a cost/benefits analysis, and recommendations for proposed legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study evaluate whether mandating this health care coverage would jeopardize Hawaii's ERISA exemption; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to report findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Acting Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Report Title:

Health Insurance for Alternative Health Care Services.