05/01/2001 01:40 PM Senate L&C

           SJR 28-INFO ABOUT LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced SJR 28 to be up for consideration.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARY WILKEN,  sponsor of SJR 28, explained  that this bill                                                              
grew  out  of  the efforts  of  the  Long-term  Care  Task  Force.                                                              
Recommendations #29  and 33 other  recommendations had to  do with                                                              
getting  information   out  to  the   general  public   about  the                                                              
availability and  the need of  long-term care insurance.  He noted                                                              
that  there was  a  sponsor statement  in  their  packets that  he                                                              
wouldn't  read,  but stated  that  the  senior population  is  the                                                              
fastest growing population in Alaska.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     In  18  years it  will  represent  about 12  percent  of                                                                   
     Alaskans.  The need  for long-term  care is obvious  and                                                                   
     the  need to  get the  information out  to families  and                                                                   
     people  that are  planning  their lives  at  the age  of                                                                   
     teens  or 20  or 30  is the  key to  long-term care.  It                                                                   
     doesn't do much  good to buy long-term care  at 60 years                                                                   
     old. It's very expensive.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Page 2, lines  10 - 19 encourages others, officials  and agencies,                                                              
to disseminate information.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  AUSTERMAN moved  to pass  SJR  28 out  of committee  with                                                              
individual recommendations.  There were  no objections and  it was                                                              
so ordered.