Requesting The Director Of Health To Convene A Working Group To Examine The Feasibility Of Arts-based Social Prescribing Within Public Insurance, Private Insurance, And Prepaid Health Care Plans In Hawaii.
H.R. 153 is a House Resolution requesting the Director of Health to convene a working group to study the feasibility of arts-based social prescribing in Hawaii. The resolution frames social prescribing as a way for health care providers to refer patients to non-clinical, community-based arts and cultural activities—such as music, visual arts, dance, and theater—as part of treatment for mental and behavioral health conditions. It cites concerns about depression, anxiety, health care utilization, and quality of life, and points to evidence from other jurisdictions suggesting potential benefits such as improved mental health outcomes, reduced medication reliance, and lower costs.
The working group would be chaired by the Director of Health and include representatives from Med-QUEST, private insurers, prepaid health care plans, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, health care providers, and community arts organizations. Its task is to examine legal, regulatory, administrative, reimbursement, data collection, and pilot-program issues across Hawaii’s multi-payer health system, and to report findings and recommendations to the Legislature before the 2027 session. The resolution also provides for the group’s dissolution on June 30, 2027.
Because this is a resolution rather than a bill amending statutes, H.R. 153 does not directly change Hawaii Revised Statutes or create a new insurance benefit. Its practical effect is to direct the Department of Health to lead a cross-sector study of whether arts-based social prescribing could be reimbursed under Med-QUEST, private insurance, and prepaid health care plans, and to identify any legal or administrative barriers. The measure could influence future legislation, pilot programs, and coverage policy for Medicaid beneficiaries, privately insured individuals, and prepaid health plan enrollees.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is supportive and exploratory. The measure presents arts-based social prescribing as a promising, culturally responsive approach to improving mental and behavioral health while potentially reducing costs and increasing engagement in care. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition or debate in the available record.
The main points of potential contention are not expressed in recorded debate but are implicit in the study questions the resolution raises. These include whether arts-based services should be reimbursable health benefits, how to measure effectiveness and cost savings, what legal or regulatory changes would be needed, and whether public and private payers should be required or encouraged to cover such services. Stakeholders most likely to differ include insurers, prepaid health plans, health care providers, and arts organizations, particularly over reimbursement standards, administrative burden, and the scope of covered services.