SCR 14: Establishing the Alaska Task Force on Parity for Mental Health.
00SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 14 01 Establishing the Alaska Task Force on Parity for Mental Health. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS mental health disorders cost the American economy $147,800,000,000 in 04 1990 in lost productivity, absenteeism, disability, and early death; and 05 WHEREAS the Alaska Mental Health Board estimates there are over 31,000 children, 06 youth, and adults in the state who experience serious mental illnesses and emotional disorders; 07 many of these Alaskans require and seek mental health services through private insurance that 08 is inadequate in scope and coverage of services required; and 09 WHEREAS the Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 that does 10 address parity for lifetime benefits and annual reimbursement limits for mental health services, 11 but does not address differentiation between mental and physical illnesses with respect to co- 12 payments, deductibles, and benefit design; and 13 WHEREAS, currently, 11 other states have established laws addressing mental health 14 parity in insurance practices, and 35 other states are now considering legislation;
01 BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Alaska Task Force on 02 Parity for Mental Health is established for the purpose of studying 03 (1) discrimination in health insurance policies against persons with mental 04 disorders; 05 (2) costs of mental health coverage in relation to other health care insurance, 06 with special emphasis on parity, and the extent of such coverage, including deductibles and 07 co-payments, disorders and conditions to be covered, and other pertinent issues; and 08 (3) unmet mental health needs in the state and the feasibility of implementing 09 any recommendations of the task force through legislation; and be it 10 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of 11 members, as 11 follows: 12 (1) two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one 13 member shall be a member of the majority and one member shall be a member of the 14 minority; 15 (2) two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker 16 of the House, one member shall be a member of the majority and one member shall be a 17 member of the minority; 18 (3) the commissioner of health and social services, or a designee; 19 (4) one member representing the Alaska Mental Health Board appointed by the 20 Alaska Mental Health Board; 21 (5) two members representing the insurance industry appointed by the 22 Governor; 23 (6) three members representing mental health consumers, community based 24 mental health programs or agencies, or health care providers, appointed by the Governor; and 25 be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that no general fund money shall be expended to support 27 the task force; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that a simple majority of the members of the task force shall 29 constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and all actions of the task force shall 30 require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present; and be it 31 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may conduct its work during the
01 legislative session and the interim between sessions and may conduct public hearings to 02 receive testimony about issues relative to parity for mental health; and be it 03 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall provide to the Governor, the 04 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate a report of its 05 findings and recommendations on these matters not later than January 1, 1998; and be it 06 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is terminated at 11:59 p.m. on 07 February 28, 1998.