STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3691

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 229

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 229 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF MANDATING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS EXAMINATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of mandating health insurance coverage for annual mental health wellness examinations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor.

Your Committee finds that nearly one in five Americans experience a mental illness or disorder each year and that less than half of those experiencing a mental illness or disorder receive mental health services. Properly identifying and screening for mental illness could help reduce the health care costs and lost wages attributed to untreated mental illness every year. Senate Bill No. 728, Regular Session of 2021 (S.B. No. 728) and S.B. No. 2467, S.D. 2, Regular Session of 2022 (S.B. No. 2467), would require health insurers and similar entities that provide coverage for health care to provide coverage for annual mental health screenings. This measure requests the Auditor to conduct a social and financial impact assessment of the proposed mandated coverage in S.B. No. 728 and S.B. No. 2467, pursuant to sections 23-51 and 23-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to further efforts to support the mental health of residents in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying S.B. No. 728 and S.B. No. 2467 as the measures requested to be analyzed by the Auditor;

(2) Inserting language requesting the Auditor to define "mental health wellness examination" to allow health insurers to determine coverage requirements;

(3) Requesting the Auditor to include in the impact assessment report a survey of other states in the United States that have implemented a mandate for annual mental health wellness examination benefits and to examine the resulting social and financial impact in those states; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 229, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 229, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair