(A) As used in this section:

1. (1) "Mandated health benefit" means a benefit or coverage that is required by law to be offered or provided by a health insurance issuer and includes: coverage for specific health care services, treatments or practices; or the offering of specific health care services, treatments or practices.
2. (2) "Health insurance issuer" means any entity that provides health insurance coverage in this State.

(B) There is established the Task Force to Review State and Federal Health Insurance Mandates in South Carolina (task force). The task force consists of eleven members selected as follows:

1. (1) the Director of the Department of Insurance, or his designee;
2. (2) the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, or his designee;
3. (3) the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, or his designee;
4. (4) the Director of the State Employees' Health Plan, or his designee;
5. (5) two members to be appointed by the Governor, one of whom must be a representative of a company that employs ten or fewer employees and one of whom must be a member of the general public who is not associated with health care providers; and

6. (6) five additional members selected by unanimous agreement of the members provided in items (1), (2), (3), and (4). These five members must have demonstrated expertise in health insurance and managed care issues; and

   1. (a) two must be representatives of the health insurance industry, at least one of which being a representative of a domestic health insurance issuer;
   2. (b) two must be representatives of the business community, at least one of which must be a representative of a company that employs fewer than fifty employees; and

   3. (c) one must be a representative of the hospital industry.

      Vacancies in the task force must be filled by appointment or selection, as applicable, in the manner of original appointment or selection. No business other than that necessary to establish the task force and select the additional members may be conducted until all eleven members have been appointed or selected and qualify. Staff and administrative support for the task force must be provided by the Department of Insurance and the State Employees' Health Plan in the manner the task force determines appropriate.

(C) The task force may hold public hearings, conduct research, receive the testimony of experts, review, for purposes of comparison, the mandated health benefits upon health insurance issuers in other states and jurisdictions and the effects of such mandates, and take other actions it determines appropriate for the completion of its assigned task. At a minimum, the task force shall inquire into and make recommendations with respect to:

1. (1) each and every state and federally mandated health benefit placed upon health insurance issuers in South Carolina since 1990;
2. (2) the impact of each such mandated health benefit on the premiums for health insurance coverage in South Carolina.