THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            136
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     SENATE CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A STUDY ASSESSING THE SOCIAL
   AND FINANCIAL IMPACT OF INCLUDING NATUROPATHIC COVERAGE IN
   THE PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION BENEFITS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE
   INSURANCE LAW.



 1       WHEREAS, the interest in and use of alternative medicine
 2   increases each year and one in three Americans already use some
 3   form of alternative medicine; and
 4   
 5       WHEREAS, naturopathic physicians are licensed primary care
 6   physicians, trained in naturopathic medical schools in a
 7   four-year program, and must pass a national licensing
 8   examination; and
 9   
10       WHEREAS, naturopathic physicians take courses in clinical
11   pharmocology as well as nonprescription agents, botanicals,
12   antibiotics, hormones, vitamins, and minerals, and therefore
13   are thoroughly trained in the use of natural medicines and
14   clinical pharmacology; and
15   
16       WHEREAS, naturopathic services were omitted from the
17   mandatory personal injury protection benefits of the Motor
18   Vehicle Insurance Reform Act passed by the Legislature in 1997;
19   and
20   
21       WHEREAS, S.B. No. 95 has been introduced in the Regular
22   Session of 1999 proposing that policy coverage for personal
23   injury protection benefits (section 431:10C-103.5, Hawaii
24   Revised Statutes) be required to include naturopathy; and
25   
26       WHEREAS, in December, 1989, the Auditor submitted a report
27   to the Governor and the Legislature entitled, "Study of
28   Proposed Mandatory Health Insurance For Naturopathic Care,"
29   which assessed the social and financial impact of measures
30   proposing to mandate health insurance benefits; and
31   
32       WHEREAS, this report provided the Legislature with a
33   rational and objective basis for evaluating proposals that
34   required health insurance coverage for particular health
35   services; and

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            136
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   
 2       WHEREAS, the study concluded that there was no evidence
 3   that naturopathic medicine increased health care costs; and
 4   
 5       WHEREAS, due to consumer demands for naturopathic care, a
 6   follow-up study to the December, 1989, Auditor's report would
 7   provide the Legislature with up-to-date information in making
 8   policy decisions with regard to naturopathic care; now,
 9   therefore,
10   
11       BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
12   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, the House of
13   Representatives concurring, that the Auditor is requested to
14   conduct a follow-up study of the 1989 Auditor's report
15   entitled, "Study of Proposed Mandatory Health Insurance for
16   Naturopathic Care" and to investigate the social and financial
17   impact of including naturopathic coverage in the personal
18   injury protection benefits of the motor vehicle insurance law;
19   and
20   
21       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor submit the findings
22   and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty
23   days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2000; and
24   
25       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this
26   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor.
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28 
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30                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________