00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 31                                                                   
01 Relating to an integrated statewide information and referral system.                                                    
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS basic and accurate information is a fundamental requirement for the                                     
04 state's market system to work efficiently; and                                                                          
05       WHEREAS consumers of health care in the state have difficulty determining the                                   
06 actual costs of medical services, which is critical to making informed market decisions for                             
07 health-related expenditures; and                                                                                        
08       WHEREAS residents of the state must have information about the quality and variety                              
09 of services available in the broad category of health care to make informed medical and                                 
10 health-related purchasing decisions; and                                                                                
11       WHEREAS a growing number of Alaskans can not afford or access health insurance;                                 
12 and                                                                                                                     
13       WHEREAS people who are over 65 years of age and are covered by Medicare find                                    
14 fewer doctors who will keep or accept them as patients; and                                                             
15       WHEREAS health care options in the state are diminished because of high health care                             
16 costs and the unavailability of surgical procedures; and                                                                

01       WHEREAS the state already has a shortage of physicians and the percentage of                                    
02 medical doctors over 50 years of age is increasing, creating a trend that will worsen as the                            
03 state's population continues to age; and                                                                                
04       WHEREAS state residents need an integrated health-related information and referral                              
05 system to connect with services that are available and that will best meet each resident's                              
06 health care needs;                                                                                                      
07       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature seeks government and private                                   
08 sector partners to investigate and build an integrated statewide information and referral                               
09 system using like systems created in other states that use state-of-the-art software and well-                          
10 maintained databases so state residents can maximize their health purchases within the state;                           
11 and be it                                                                                                               
12       FURTHER RESOLVED that in addition, this integrated statewide information and                                    
13 referral system be used to create an information system for health volunteerism options and a                           
14 network of community health contacts that in times of natural disasters or statewide                                    
15 emergencies could be used to coordinate services and to disseminate information.