H.B. 25                                                   VETOES

(e) (f) A member of the Task Force:

(1)     May not receive compensation; but

(2)     Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget.

(f)      (g) The Task Force shall study and make recommendations regarding:

(1)     Study and make recommendations regarding compliance by
commercial health insurers and health maintenance organizations with the Whether
any changes should be made to the mental health parity requirements under
§ 15-802 of the Insurance Article and § 19-703.1 of the Health - General Article; and

(2)     (i) Examine the systemic barriers experienced by

commercially insured individuals when attempting to access community treatment;

and

(ii) Make recommendations to ensure that commercially insured
individuals have access to medically necessary mental health treatment.

(2)     The systemic barriers experienced by commercially-insured
individuals when attempting to access community treatment;

(3)     How to ensure that commercially-insured individuals have access to
medically-necessary mental health treatment;

(2) (4) The differences difference in the coverage of mental health
services coverage provided by among the public mental health system, commercial
health insurers, and commercial health maintenance organizations;

(3) (5) The structure and effectiveness of the public and private mental
health care delivery system systems in the State; and

(4)     The wages paid to mental health care workers and the impact of
those wages on quality of care; and

(5) (6) The impact on the cost of health care coverage in the State of any
recommended changes on the cost of health care coverage to the coverage or delivery of
mental health care services.

(g)     (h) The Task Force shall report On or before December 31, 2003, the Task
Force shall issue a preliminary report of its findings, and on or before December 31,
2004, shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor,
and in accordance with § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, the General
Assembly, on or before December 31, 2003 2004.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 2003. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 6 months and,
at the end of December 31, 2003 2004, with no further action required by the General
Assembly, this Act shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect.

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