04/24/1998 09:08 AM Senate HES

      SB 266 - MEDICAID COVER/HEALTHY FAMILIES AK PROGRAM                      
                                                                               
SENATOR GREEN moved to adopt CSSB 266(HES), version B, as the                  
working document of the committee.  There being no objection, the              
motion carried.                                                                
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN WILKEN noted HB 369 is a mirror version of this bill.  He             
asked Mr. Livey what the status of that legislation is.                        
                                                                               
JAY LIVEY, Deputy Commissioner of DHSS, replied HB 369 passed out              
of the House Finance Committee the previous day.                               
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN WILKEN asked Mr. Livey to give the committee a synopsis of            
what activity has occurred in regard to HB 369.                                
                                                                               
MR. LIVEY stated the original bill, as introduced by the Governor,             
proposed to increase Medicaid eligibility for children and pregnant            
women, whose income is up to 200 percent of the poverty level.  The            
provision including pregnant women was removed on the House side so            
the bill that passed out of the House Finance Committee yesterday              
retained the Medicaid increase up to 200 percent of the poverty                
level for children only.  The original bill proposed continuous                
eligibility up to 11 months; that provision remains in the House               
bill.  The original Governor's bill also proposed targeted case                
management, which is a Medicaid option.  Targeted case management              
for the Healthy Families Program and for nurse midwives was removed            
from the House bill.  The original Governor's bill also contained              
a proposal to allow DHSS to proceed with certain types of managed              
care.  That provision was put back in by the House Finance                     
Committee.  The language that allows for cost sharing for children             
at over 150 percent of the poverty level remains in the bill.  The             
remaining sections of the bill were definitional sections.                     
                                                                               
Number 282                                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR LEMAN asked if version B of SB 266 is similar to the House             
Finance Committee version.                                                     
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN WILKEN answered it is identical.                                      
                                                                               
SENATOR ELLIS moved CSSB 266(HES) out of committee with individual             
recommendations and its accompanying fiscal notes.  The motion                 
carried with no objection.