03/03/2009 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB26 | |
| SCR1 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SCR 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 3, 2009
2:58 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bob Herron, Co-Chair
Representative Wes Keller, Co-Chair
Representative John Coghill
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Sharon Cissna
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Lindsey Holmes
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 26
"An Act repealing the repeal of preventative and restorative
adult dental services reimbursement under Medicaid; providing
for an effective date by repealing the effective date of sec. 3,
ch. 52, SLA 2006; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 26 OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1
Relating to establishing March 2009 as Brain Injury Awareness
Month.
- MOVED SCR 1 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 26
SHORT TITLE: MEDICAID FOR ADULT DENTAL SERVICES
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HAWKER
01/20/09 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/09
01/20/09 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/20/09 (H) HSS, FIN
02/26/09 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
02/26/09 (H) Heard & Held
02/26/09 (H) MINUTE(HSS)
03/03/09 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: SCR 1
SHORT TITLE: BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH: MARCH 2009
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) MCGUIRE
01/21/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/21/09 (S) HSS
02/11/09 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/11/09 (S) Moved SCR 1 Out of Committee
02/11/09 (S) MINUTE(HSS)
02/13/09 (S) HSS RPT 3DP
02/13/09 (S) DP: DAVIS, ELLIS, PASKVAN
02/25/09 (S) BEFORE SENATE ON FINAL PASSAGE
02/25/09 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
02/25/09 (S) VERSION: SCR 1
02/27/09 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/27/09 (H) HSS
03/03/09 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
TREVOR FULTON, Staff
to Senator Lesil McGuire
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SCR 1 on behalf of the sponsor,
Senator McGuire.
DANI CARLSON, Staff
to Senator Lesil McGuire
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SCR 1 on behalf of the sponsor,
Senator McGuire, and responded to questions.
JILL HODGES, Executive Director
Alaska Brain Injury Network, Inc. (ABIN)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During discussion of SCR 1, answered
questions and provided comments.
NANCY MICHAELSON
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SCR 1.
ACTION NARRATIVE
2:58:45 PM
CO-CHAIR WES KELLER called the House Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 2:58 p.m.
Representatives Keller, Herron, Seaton, and Coghill were present
at the call to order. Representatives Cissna and Lynn arrived
as the meeting was in progress. Representative Holmes was
excused.
HB 26-MEDICAID FOR ADULT DENTAL SERVICES
2:59:10 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 26, "An Act repealing the repeal of
preventative and restorative adult dental services reimbursement
under Medicaid; providing for an effective date by repealing the
effective date of sec. 3, ch. 52, SLA 2006; and providing for an
effective date."
[Before the committee was HB 26, Version 26-LS0142\E, which had
been adopted as the working document on February 26, 2009.]
CO-CHAIR KELLER noted that public testimony had been closed.
2:59:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL moved to adopt the original HB 26,
Version 26-LS0142\R, as the working document.
There being no objection, the original HB 26 was adopted.
2:59:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL opined that it would be a long term
program.
3:00:41 PM
CO-CHAIR HERRON said that he supported the original version, and
that he had introduced Version E to encourage a debate.
3:01:07 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER said that he supported the original version of
HB 26.
3:01:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL moved to report the original HB 26,
Version 26-LS0142\R, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
3:01:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON objected, and asked to clarify that HB 26,
Version R, had been adopted as the working draft.
3:01:54 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER clarified that it was.
3:02:18 PM
It was noted that Representative Seaton removed his objection.
There being no objection, the original HB 26, Version R, was
reported from the House Health and Social Services Standing
Committee.
SCR 1-BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH: MARCH 2009
3:03:09 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER announced that the next order of business would
be SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1, Relating to establishing
March 2009 as Brain Injury Awareness Month.
3:03:26 PM
TREVOR FULTON, Staff, to Senator Lesil McGuire, Alaska State
Legislature, introduced Dani Carlson as the presenter of the
bill for the sponsor.
3:03:48 PM
DANI CARLSON, Staff, to Senator Lesil McGuire, Alaska State
Legislature, said that SCR 1 aimed to recognize March, 2009, as
traumatic brain injury (TBI) month in Alaska. She cited the
fragility of our brains, and stated that TBI is often called an
invisible disease. She estimated that more than 12,000 Alaskans
had suffered a TBI, and that there were 800 TBIs reported
annually. She recounted that these statistics had increased
with the return of military combat veterans, 20 percent of whom
showed signs of TBI. She reported that screenings at the
National Naval Medical Center showed that 83 percent of the
wounded treated at that facility had some sort of brain injury.
She confirmed that TBI was a leading cause of death for young
people in Alaska.
3:07:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL asked what public information, other than
awareness, would happen in association with SCR 1.
JILL HODGES, Executive Director, Alaska Brain Injury Network
(ABIN), said, in response to Representative Coghill, that ABIN
advocated for the importance of this public health issue to the
large health providers. She said that it was necessary to work
with the military, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
(ANTHC), and the state of Alaska to raise awareness of brain
injuries.
3:12:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA noted that this critical issue had "lagged
behind" for public recognition. She asked about the cost to the
health system for these injuries, and what services were
available for those soldiers returning with brain injuries.
MS. HODGES replied, in response to Representative Cissna, that
the annual national cost was about $60 billion. She reported
that early intervention, including screening, lead to better
outcomes. She encouraged the state for a cost analysis.
3:15:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON referred to the Governor's Proclamation,
"Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month" and the sponsor
statement for SCR 1 [both included in the members' packets]. He
pointed out that one referred to brain injury awareness month
and the other referred to traumatic brain injury month, and he
asked about the difference.
MR. FULTON noted that the difference was just within the wording
of the title.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if there was a difference between
brain injury and traumatic brain injury.
MR. FULTON, in response to Representative Seaton, explained that
there was a difference, as all traumatic brain injuries were
brain injuries, but that not all brain injuries were traumatic.
He pointed out that stroke and fetal alcohol syndrome were
examples of non-traumatic brain injuries.
3:18:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL referred to SCR 1, page 1, line 14,
"WHEREAS, most cases of traumatic brain injury are preventable:"
and he asked about plans for prevention.
MS. HODGES, in response to Representative Coghill, said that
there were past policy decisions, for example the seat belt law,
which had lowered the injury rate. She said that helmets for
ATV and snow machine users, seat belts, and child booster seats
were all programs that reduced TBI. She said that ABIN had
abrogated to ANTHC and the state for injury prevention programs.
3:20:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL asked what inducements would make people
use safety equipment.
MS. HODGES, in response to Representative Coghill, said that it
started with education in the school system. She suggested that
industries, specifically fishing and carpentry, focus on
prevention. She mentioned that kids needed a performance based
model to encourage wearing helmets. She said that this required
a culture change, and with the variety of cultures in Alaska,
the message would need to be community specific.
3:22:34 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER asked if there were specialists for TBI.
3:23:19 PM
MS. HODGES explained that there was very standard care for a
brain injury which began at the accident site, and was designed
to prevent any further damage. She reported that Alaska had few
post-acute therapy programs, so it required out of state access
for rehabilitation. She said that rehabilitation improved the
outcome, and she shared a personal family story. She summarized
that Alaska needed a post acute rehabilitation center, and a
residential recovery center with a supportive environment.
3:26:36 PM
NANCY MICHAELSON shared the story of her brain injured son. She
explained that, initially, her family went out of Alaska for
treatment at a rehabilitation center. She said that, when they
returned to Alaska, it took a long time to establish a team of
care givers. She stressed that most TBIs could be prevented.
She spoke about protection for sports related injuries. She
supported a declaration for March as the brain injury awareness
month.
3:29:54 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER asked if there was any more testimony, and
seeing none, he closed public testimony.
3:30:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON reflected that he had not heard anything
about prevention proposals, and he suggested that this
resolution should include targeting for all aspects of brain
injury.
3:32:12 PM
CO-CHAIR KELLER agreed.
3:32:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said that he fully supported SCR 1, but he
asked what would happen after this resolution was passed.
3:34:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL noted that the ABIN would take this
proclamation as an additional authority for education. He added
that it would also be used as a "legislators' voice" for any
additional legislation.
3:36:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL moved to report SCR 1 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SCR 1 was reported from the
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
3:36:44 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 3:36 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| doc004.PDF |
HHSS 3/3/2009 3:00:00 PM |
SCR 1 |