2021-02-24                     Senate Journal                      Page 0314
SB 93                                                                                                                         
SENATE BILL NO. 93 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the establishment of an all-payer health                                                               
     claims database; and providing for an effective date."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Health and Social Services,                                                         
Labor and Commerce and Finance Committees.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, Department of Commerce, Community, and                                                                      
          Economic Development                                                                                                  
 Fiscal Note No. 2, Department of Health and Social Services                                                                    
 Fiscal Note No. 3, zero, Department of Administration                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated February 23:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Micciche:                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18 of the Alaska                                                                    
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill to establish an All-Payer Claims                                                         
Database (APCD) for Alaska. An APCD is a state maintained database                                                              
that provides for the systematic collection of health care payment data                                                         
from insurers and providers to assist policymakers and industry                                                                 
professionals to analyze costs, quality, and utilization for improved                                                           
decision-making and policy formulation.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

2021-02-24                     Senate Journal                      Page 0315
The Alaska Healthcare Transformation Project (AHTP) identified the                                                              
establishment of an APCD as a critical first step in helping understand                                                         
health spending trends, utilization, and pricing variation in Alaska in                                                         
order to provide better transparency, inform policy and address health                                                          
care costs.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
This bill makes changes to the Alaska Insurance Code to authorize the                                                           
division of insurance to establish a statewide APCD to collect,                                                                 
aggregate, and report on claims data and to allow the division director                                                         
to select a lead organization to coordinate and manage the database.                                                            
Under this proposal, certain insurers and providers will be required to                                                         
submit their health cost data. This data will be aggregated for policy                                                          
analysis, cost trends and to potentially help inform consumers about                                                            
their health care choices.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this important reform                                                                
measure.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                                   
Governor