Legislature(2023 - 2024)BUTROVICH 205
03/30/2023 03:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SJR10 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SJR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 30, 2023
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator David Wilson, Chair
Senator James Kaufman, Vice Chair
Senator Löki Tobin
Senator Forrest Dunbar
Senator Cathy Giessel
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10
Encouraging Alaska's Congressional delegation and the federal
government to raise Medicare reimbursement rates to meet the
actual cost of care for the state's senior citizens.
- MOVED SJR 10 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SJR 10
SHORT TITLE: MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) GIESSEL
03/13/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/13/23 (S) HSS
03/30/23 (S) HSS AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
MIKE COONS, representing self
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SJR 10 with
concerns.
DR. MICHAEL SAVITT, Chief Medical Officer
Anchorage Health Department
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SJR 10.
JEROME GEORGE, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SJR 10.
ERIC GURLEY, Executive Director
Access Alaska Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SJR 10.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:38 PM
CHAIR DAVID WILSON called the Senate Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators Tobin, Kaufman, Giessel, Dunbar, and
Chair Wilson.
SJR 10-MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT
3:31:02 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of SENATE JOINT
RESOLUTION NO. 10 Encouraging Alaska's Congressional delegation
and the federal government to raise Medicare reimbursement rates
to meet the actual cost of care for the state's senior citizens.
3:31:25 PM
SENIOR CATHY GIESSEL, speaking as the sponsor of SJR 10,
provided the sponsor statement as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
"Encouraging Alaska's Congressional delegation and the
federal government to raise Medicare reimbursement
rates to meet the actual cost of care for the state's
senior citizens."
Alaska's senior population has been the fastest
growing, per capita, in the nation for the past ten
years, in a state whose medical costs are among the
highest in the nation. This increase has triggered a
demand for more healthcare services, from basic in-
home assistance to high levels of acute care. The
medical system is struggling to provide the
appropriate level of care for seniors under persistent
workforce challenges and the inadequate Medicare
reimbursement rates that simply do not cover the cost
for services.
This untenable situation elevates the need for the
rebasing of Medicare reimbursement rates as an
immediate priority.
Healthcare providers who do accept Medicare have long
been struggling to stay profitable and retain staff.
Some providers, who almost exclusively serve the
senior community, have had to shut down due to
staffing issues originating in part from uncompetitive
Medicare reimbursement rates. For these reasons, many
more medical providers are choosing not to accept new
Medicare patients. This has left countless Alaskans
without access to reliable and affordable health care.
The lack of available Medicare providers is driving
more and more financially vulnerable Alaskans to
emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, exposing them
to unnecessarily high medical bills and putting
further strain on the system.
The hard truth is that our aging seniors who rely on
Medicare to cover the cost of their medical services
do not have time to wait for the long and deliberative
process of policy making to play out. This is why we
must urge the President and our federal delegation to
act now.
Senate Joint Resolution 10 sends a strong message to
our federal delegation by asking them to take
immediate action on lagging Medicare reimbursement
rates that are detrimentally affecting our healthcare
providers and access to appropriate care for Alaskans.
Please join me in support of this critical resolution
that seeks to help Alaska's seniors by bringing
Medicare's lagging rates to the attention of our
federal representatives.
3:34:01 PM
CHAIR WILSON opened public testimony on SJR 10.
3:34:17 PM
MIKE COONS, representing self, Palmer, Alaska, stated he is a
70-year-old veteran who deals with Medicare and Veteran
Administration health insurance. He proposed an amendment adding
the Veteran's Administration (VA) and TRICARE for Life insurance
to the resolution. Medicare, VA, and TRICARE for Life insurance
are all federal programs. He provided several examples of
medical claims and the limited payout amounts that his doctor
received. He opined that doctors need to stay in business.
Limited payouts make it difficult for doctors to accept Medicare
and veteran patients. He questioned how long Mat-Su hospital
would continue to take Medicare patients when the government
only pays pennies on the dollar.
3:39:38 PM
DR. MICHAEL SAVITT, Chief Medical Officer, Anchorage Health
Department, Anchorage, Alaska, stated he supports SJR 10 because
it addresses many clinics' concerns. Elders need continuity of
care. The closing of the Alaska Regional Senior Clinic resulted
from a lack of staff due to the pandemic. Its closure has left
many seniors without care, exacerbating an existing problem. He
formed a task force to help Anchorage's Medicare-insured
community obtain medical care. He said it is difficult to fix a
federal situation at a local level. Local leaders have requested
federal assistance, but none is forthcoming. Many states are
facing the same problem. There is no quick fix. Alaska needs to
become more self-sufficient, creative in recruitment, and look
for short-term and long-term solutions.
3:43:56 PM
JEROME GEORGE, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, agreed with
the points Dr. Savitt made. He said he is a retired state
employee who believes Alaska needs to pay attention because if
Medicare goes bankrupt, Alaska will be on the hook for the
bills. It is in the state's best interest to see that Medicare
survives. He suggested that the "blackmail" clause should be
removed because it does not allow doctors to accept Medicare
patients with supplemental insurance unless they accept all
Medicare patients. He stated that the clause made it difficult
for Medicare patients to find doctors when the Alaska Regional
Senior Clinic closed. He said Alaska's seniors are the fastest-
growing and largest group of voters in the state, but the
sector's needs are unmet. He said education is the biggest
deterrent to attracting young professionals to Alaska, which
affects Alaska's medical crisis. He opined that Alaska needs to
improve its school system.
3:48:17 PM
ERIC GURLEY, Executive Director, Access Alaska Inc., Anchorage,
Alaska, described how Access Alaska supports seniors. He
testified in support of SJR 10 and said the state of Alaska
population projections for 2021 to 2050 expect the number of
Alaskans 65 and older to increase by 30 percent. Current
Medicare rates do not support the access seniors require for
health care problems. Seniors having to wait for care can be
life-changing. Economic insecurity and increasing costs affect
seniors with fixed incomes. He asked that the legislature
continue to work with Alaska's congressional representation to
increase Medicare rates. He also requested that the government
address the lifelong penalty for late enrollment, as it is
unfair.
3:51:31 PM
CHAIR WILSON closed public testimony on SJR 10.
3:51:40 PM
At ease.
3:52:20 PM
CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting and asked for further
questions.
3:52:29 PM
SENATOR TOBIN commented that millennials recently surpassed
seniors as the largest voting population in Alaska.
3:53:11 PM
CHAIR WILSON solicited a motion.
3:53:14 PM
SENATOR KAUFMAN moved to report SJR 10 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
3:53:27 PM
CHAIR WILSON found no objection and SJR 10 was reported from the
Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
3:54:42 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Wilson adjourned the Senate Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting at 3:54 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SJR10 Version 33-LS0490A.PDF |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Sponsor Statement 03.22.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Document ADN 01.23.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support George 01.27.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Gurley 03.24.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Rhoades 03.13.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Sutherlin 03.10.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Wyatt 02.02.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR 10 AHHA Letter of Support.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support George2 03.30.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Ripley 03.30.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Oechsli 03.30.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10 Support Document Jardell 03.15.23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR10-LEG-SESS-03-30-23.pdf |
SHSS 3/30/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SJR 10 |