04/26/2001 01:53 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 65                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     An  Act relating  to  a new  optional  group of  persons                                                                   
     eligible  for medical assistance  who require  treatment                                                                   
     for  breast or  cervical  cancer; and  providing for  an                                                                   
     effective date.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
NANCY WELLER, STATE, FEDERAL &  TRIBAL RELATIONS, DIVISION OF                                                                   
MEDICAL   ASSISTANCE,  DEPARTMENT   OF   HEALTH  AND   SOCIAL                                                                   
SERVICES, stated  that during the past year,  Congress passed                                                                   
legislation  to improve  health care for  women by  extending                                                                   
Medicaid  coverage  for  treatment  of  breast  and  cervical                                                                   
cancer.  In the interest of improving  Alaskans' health care,                                                                   
the bill  would allow  the State  to take  advantage of  this                                                                   
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Weller stated  that  by opting  into  this new  Medicaid                                                                   
program, uninsured women who have  been diagnosed with breast                                                                   
or  cervical  cancer  under a  federally  financed  screening                                                                   
program, would  be eligible for  treatment.  In  Alaska, that                                                                   
could  mean some  70  women or  so per  year,  who could  not                                                                   
otherwise afford  cancer treatment, would be  able to receive                                                                   
care.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Weller continued, the federal  program began in 1990 when                                                                   
Congress  passed the  Breast  and Cervical  Cancer  Mortality                                                                   
Prevention Act establishing the  Center for Disease Control's                                                                   
(CDC)  national breast  and cervical  cancer early  detection                                                                   
program. The CDC program provides  grants for screening exams                                                                   
to  millions  of  people  who   meet  eligibility  guidelines                                                                   
throughout  the country  each  year, including  Alaska.   The                                                                   
grantees  provide clinical  breast  exams,  pelvic exams  and                                                                   
mammograms.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
She noted that  unfortunately, federal money  did not provide                                                                   
for  follow-up  treatment to  any  of the  uninsured  persons                                                                   
diagnosed with  cancer, until now.   With last  year's Breast                                                                   
and Cervical Cancer Prevention  and Treatment Act signed into                                                                   
law, states may select a new Medicaid  option to cover cancer                                                                   
treatments of  uninsured women diagnosed under  the CDC early                                                                   
detection program.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The American  Cancer Society estimated  182,800 new  cases of                                                                   
invasive  breast  cancer and  12,800  new cases  of  invasive                                                                   
cervical cancer expected  to occur among women  in the United                                                                   
States  during the  year, resulting  in  an estimated  45,400                                                                   
deaths.   As  a result  of the  recent congressional  action,                                                                   
diagnosed,  uninsured,  low-income  persons can  receive  the                                                                   
treatment needed  to save  their lives.   In order  to extend                                                                   
the  program to  Alaskan  women,  she urged  the  Committee's                                                                   
action on this legislation.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bunde  pointed out the letter received  by members                                                                   
from Senator  Murkowski, encouraging forward movement  of the                                                                   
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
In response  to Representative  Harris' question,  Ms. Weller                                                                   
noted that it would be an optional coverage group.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Lancaster  questioned if the  legislation were                                                                   
to be  passed, if anyone  would be turned  away.   Ms. Weller                                                                   
replied that  there are  a certain  number of providers  that                                                                   
are enrolled  in the screening.   If a person  has insurance,                                                                   
they would not be eligible for Medicaid.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
KAREN PERDUE,  COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH  AND SOCIAL                                                                   
SERVICES, commented  that the  Department supports  the bill.                                                                   
She urged that the bill be passed out of Committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bunde  MOVED to  report  CS HB  65  (HES) out  of                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS  HB 65  (HES) was  reported out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation and with  a fiscal note #1 by Department                                                                   
of Health & Social Services dated 1/16/01.