Legislature(2017 - 2018)HOUSE FINANCE 519
02/07/2018 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
HB215 | |
HB236 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ | HB 236 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | HB 215 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 215 "An Act relating to program receipts; and relating to fees for services provided by the Department of Health and Social Services." 2:07:02 PM Co-Chair Foster noted that the bill had last been heard on February 2, 2018. ELIZABETH DIAMENT, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE PAUL SEATON, had no additional information to share with the committee. Vice-Chair Gara asked why $600,000 in additional revenue from the fees only resulted in a reduction of $200,000 in undesignated general funds (UGF). JILL LEWIS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, answered that the $200,000 reductions to the general fund (GF) was based on the only applicable program that had existing funding and was used to craft the fiscal note. The fiscal note reflected that GF expenditures would be replaced by fees. 2:09:22 PM Representative Kawasaki noted that implementing fee collection was a long process. He was aware of program receipt authority placed in the budget and the fees were never collected. He asked for comments from Ms. Lewis. Ms. Lewis answered that the issue had been addressed in the fiscal note by not showing any receipts collected in the first year, FY 2019. She explained that in the first year she expected the division to develop regulations and hold meetings with stakeholders. The division hoped to collect fees the following year. Representative Kawasaki spoke to a provision related to waiving fees in Section 2 of the bill. He recounted that the commissioner can waive fees if collection was deemed not feasible or in the public interest or if they undermined the division's public health mission. He asked for more detail about when in the process it was determined a fee undermined the mission. Ms. Lewis replied that it was a subjective analysis; there were many things to weigh in order to judge whether something was in the public's interest or would undermine the division's mission to protect or promote the health of Alaskans. She explained that the division would not pursue a fee that it or stakeholders determined would not achieve the division's goals. At some point a fee could become a barrier to taking advantage of services, which would negatively impact the public's health. 2:12:00 PM Representative Guttenberg stated that in a separate bill he was working on, the administration was concerned about raising fees that would impact state employees. The state was anticipating rising healthcare costs. He asked if the Department of Administration (DOA) weighed in on the issue regarding how the bill would affect the cost of healthcare. Ms. Lewis asked for clarification. She wondered if he was asking that by filling the positions there would be additional healthcare costs. Representative Guttenberg explained by filling the position and instituting fees by the department. He asked if the bill affected employee healthcare costs in anyway. He asked whether DOA had expressed concerns. Ms. Lewis replied in the negative. She explained that the positions would not impact state healthcare costs. Representative Wilson asked for verification the bill would charge patients. She asked whether the charge was a sliding fee. Ms. Lewis answered that the department currently had the authority to collect fees for clinical services like lab fees, specialty clinics, and public nurse fees. She listed services the department could not charge fees for; professional services, consultations, technical assistance, specialized data analysis, and certain administrative services. The costs would generally be charged to the entity that utilized the services but not to individual members of the public. 2:14:57 PM Vice-Chair Gara thanked Ms. Lewis, Ms. Diament and others for their work. He shared that the previous year the DHSS finance subcommittee recommended the department charge fees for certain services that were not thoroughly "fleshed out." He appreciated the department's and Co-Chair Seaton's follow up. Vice-Chair Gara reviewed the new fiscal impact note from the Department of Health and Social Services allocated to Public Health Administrative Services. The fiscal note reflected a $200,000 expected reduction in UGF in FY 2020 and anticipated raising $600,000 in revenue for a net positive of $400,000. Representative Wilson asked what data was used to determine the numbers. Ms. Lewis admitted that a certain level of uncertainty existed because the proposed type of fees had never been collected before. She analyzed each fee individually to determine the volume and guessed at an amount for a reasonable fee. The fee could be no more than cost. The division had made the best attempt at identifying what was necessary to support the program and an amount for a fee that was possible to collect. 2:17:34 PM Co-Chair Seaton MOVED to REPORT CSHB 215(FIN) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. CSHB 215(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with one new fiscal impact note from the Department of Health and Social Services. 2:18:14 PM AT EASE 2:22:39 PM RECONVENED
Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
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HB 236 HFIN CS WORKDRAFT v.D.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |
HB236 Supporting Document Alaska Commision on Aging Letter 2.2.18.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |
HB236 Supporting Documents SBP Fact Sheet - Updated August 2017.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |
HB236 Supporting Documents Email Public Comment Sept 2017.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |
HB236 Supporting Documents AARP Letter Support April 2017.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |
HB236 Supporting Document Governor FY2019 Budget Request SBP.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |
HB236 Sponsor Statement - Updated 9.25.17.pdf |
HFIN 2/7/2018 1:30:00 PM |
HB 236 |