Legislature(2015 - 2016)ANCH LIO BUILDING
05/14/2015 01:00 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB148 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 148 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION
May 14, 2015
1:10 p.m.
[NOTE: Meeting was held in Anchorage, Alaska at the
Legislative Information Office]
1:10:58 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Thompson called the House Finance Committee
meeting to order at 1:10 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Mark Neuman, Co-Chair
Representative Steve Thompson, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Saddler, Vice-Chair
Representative Les Gara
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative Scott Kawasaki
Representative Cathy Munoz
Representative Lance Pruitt
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Representative Kurt Olson, Representative Neil Foster,
Senator Cathy Giessel.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative David Guttenberg
Representative Tammie Wilson
SUMMARY
HB 148 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE COVERAGE; REFORM
HB 148 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
HOUSE BILL NO. 148
"An Act relating to medical assistance reform
measures; relating to eligibility for medical
assistance coverage; relating to medical assistance
cost containment measures by the Department of Health
and Social Services; and providing for an effective
date."
1:11:03 PM
Co-Chair Thompson provided prepared remarks:
First I want to thank the governor for bringing
Medicaid expansion before the legislature in this
special session and I want to thank Commissioner
Davidson and her staff for all the hard work that they
have done. The House majority shares the governor's
concerns with the health of Alaskans, especially the
most vulnerable Alaskans. However, hearings this week
have made it very clear that Medicaid is a bigger
problem than we knew; it is a highly complex system
facing significant challenges.
The legislation the governor has put before us does
not address a plan to move forward; only an acceptance
of twenty to forty thousand more people into a system
that has been acknowledged as broken. Currently the
administration has an RFP out to hire experts to
recommend Medicaid expansion and reform strategies for
Alaska. The final report is due April 1, 2016. We
support the administration in this effort and agree
that it is appropriate to allow time to find its
consultant. The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee
is working on an RFP to hire its own consultant.
Medicaid expansion without a plan could bankrupt this
state within six years when promised federal
participation expires.
Currently, health and social services takes up about
30 percent of the state's unrestricted general funds
for agency operations in our annual operating budget.
At this time the House Finance Committee is not
comfortable with advancing House Bill 148 since the
bill does not address which specific reforms Alaska
will pursue, a timeline for carrying out these
reforms, how the state will ensure cost savings for
Alaskans, or how the state will ensure quality care
and improved outcomes. Alaskans deserve specifics on
how Alaska's Medicaid program will be transformed.
We have other issues. The MMIS system currently is not
certified. The department is still involved in
litigation concerning the functioning of the MMIS
system with a stay until August. The system crashed
the first time when we loaded it with participants; it
was so faulty that the state had to sue Xerox. The
department assures us that most of the problems have
been corrected; however, now we are looking at adding
twenty to forty thousand new participants and seventy
thousand new NCCI billing codes. Also, Alaska is
identified as a medical provider deficient state.
Already in the Interior, Medicare and Tricare
recipients are having trouble finding providers. How
will twenty to forty thousand more people on Medicaid
effect provider availability?
Also, the King v Burwell decision by the Supreme
Court, which is expected in July, could severely
impact Alaskans who have signed up for health
insurance through the federal exchange by costing them
their assistance. This committee believes that the
best time to negotiate with the federal government on
terms to expand Medicaid programs will be after we
have done our due diligence and have received reform
strategies from our consultants and not prior just
because federal funding is available.
With that we conclude this current round of House
Finance Committee meetings and look forward to working
with the administration's consultants and ours on how
to best address the healthcare needs of Alaskans.
These are just a few of our concerns on this
committee.
HB 148 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
1:15:57 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 148 Responses HFIN QA#2_05132015_FINAL.pdf |
HFIN 5/14/2015 1:00:00 PM |
HB 148 |