Requesting The Auditor To Assess Both The Social And Financial Effects Of Proposed Mandated Health Insurance Coverage For A Percentage Of The Costs Of Intravenous Ketamine Therapy To Treat Depression.
Summary
SCR8 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution that asks the Hawaii State Auditor to study the social and financial effects of a proposed insurance mandate for intravenous ketamine therapy used to treat depression. The resolution is tied to S.B. No. 967, which would require health insurers to cover some percentage of the cost of this treatment for qualifying patients. The measure does not itself create the insurance mandate; instead, it triggers the statutory review process required before the Legislature can consider a mandated health coverage bill.
The resolution directs the Auditor to evaluate different possible coverage levels for ketamine therapy and to report findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature by twenty days before the 2026 Regular Session. Copies are also to be sent to the Auditor and the Insurance Commissioner. In practical terms, SCR8 is a procedural and informational measure that supports legislative decision-making on a potential new mental health insurance benefit.
Impact
SCR8 does not directly amend insurance statutes or require insurers to cover ketamine therapy. Its legal effect is to invoke section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which requires an Auditor report on the social and financial impacts of proposed mandated health insurance coverage before such a mandate can be considered. The resolution therefore affects the legislative process for S.B. No. 967 and could influence future insurance coverage policy, but it does not itself change coverage rules for patients, insurers, or providers.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable or at least noncontroversial treatment of the resolution. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed the measure with amendments by a 4-0 vote, indicating unanimous support among those voting. The bill text frames ketamine therapy as a potentially valid treatment for treatment-resistant depression and emphasizes the state’s interest in mental health access and public health.
Contention
The main point of contention is not the resolution itself but the underlying policy question of whether Hawaii should mandate insurance coverage for intravenous ketamine therapy and at what percentage of cost. Supporters appear focused on expanding access to a treatment for depression, especially treatment-resistant depression, while the required audit reflects concern about the fiscal impact on insurers and the broader health system. Any debate is likely to center on medical efficacy, patient access, insurance premium effects, and whether ketamine therapy should be treated as a covered mental health benefit.
Same As
Requesting The Auditor To Assess Both The Social And Financial Effects Of Proposed Mandated Health Insurance Coverage For A Percentage Of The Costs Of Intravenous Ketamine Therapy To Treat Depression.