STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1360

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 175

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Human Services, to which was referred S.R. No. 175 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF MANDATING COVERAGE OF ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the Auditor conduct an assessment, pursuant to sections 23-51 and 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, of the social and financial effects of mandating health care coverage of annual mental health screenings.

Your Committees did not receive any testimony on this measure.

Your Committees find that not all health care insurers provide coverage for the cost of an annual mental health screening, even though identifying underlying mental health problems could mitigate the risks of serious unidentified medical health issues. This measure is the first step to require health insurers to cover annual medical health screenings in Hawaii.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 175, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 175, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Human Services,

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair

________________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair