Legislature(2009 - 2010)BUTROVICH 205
02/22/2010 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB168 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 168 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 22, 2010
1:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bettye Davis, Chair
Senator Joe Paskvan, Vice Chair
Senator Johnny Ellis
Senator Joe Thomas
Senator Fred Dyson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 168
"An Act relating to state certification and designation of
trauma centers; creating the uncompensated trauma care fund to
offset uncompensated trauma care provided at certified and
designated trauma centers; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED CSSB 168(HSS) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 168
SHORT TITLE: TRAUMA CARE CENTERS/FUND
SPONSOR(s): HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES BY REQUEST
03/27/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/27/09 (S) HSS, FIN
04/08/09 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211
04/08/09 (S) Heard & Held
04/08/09 (S) MINUTE(HSS)
02/10/10 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/10/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/10/10 (S) MINUTE(HSS)
02/22/10 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 168.
ROD BETIT, President
Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in favor of the amendment to the
committee substitute to SB 168.
WARD HURLBURT M.D., MPH, Chief Medical Officer
Department Of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Division of Public Health
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 168.
DR. REGINA CHENAULT, Chair
College of Surgeon's Committee on Alaska Trauma
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 168.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:31:44 PM
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS called the Senate Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators, Ellis, Dyson, Paskvan and Davis.
SB 168-TRAUMA CARE CENTERS/FUND
1:32:05 PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced consideration of SB 168.
1:33:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL provided an overview of the committee
substitute (CS) for SB 168. The CS contains language that points
to the alcohol tax as a funding source to be used, not only to
help fill the fund itself, but to help match federal
disproportionate share money [Medicaid disproportionate share
hospital (DSH) payment adjustment program].
The amendment to the CS removes the word "uncompensated" from
the title and other parts of the CS. According to the state's
Medicaid official, this will increase the state's flexibility in
the use of disproportionate share money. Representative Coghill
said he is comfortable with the amendment.
1:36:42 PM
ROD BETIT, President, Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home
Association, Juneau, Alaska, testified in favor of the amendment
to the committee substitute, which broadens the language in the
bill to include more than uncompensated care. That is a key
factor that has kept hospitals from moving to higher trauma
designation levels. Broadening the use of those funds will allow
the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to work
through barriers to accomplish the purpose of this bill without
compromising the use of disproportionate share funds.
1:38:01 PM
WARD HURLBURT M.D., MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Department Of
Health And Social Services, Division of Public Health, testified
that, in his experience as a surgeon, alcohol is definitely
associated with unintentional trauma in Alaska.
1:39:15 PM
DR. REGINA CHENAULT, Chair, College of Surgeon's Committee on
Alaska Trauma; member of the Violent Crimes Compensation Board
and the Alaska State Trauma System Review Committee, Anchorage,
Alaska, thanked the committee for recognizing the link between
alcohol and trauma in the state. She said the violent crimes
board tracked the association of drugs and alcohol to trauma for
several years and found that it was a factor from 70 to 88
percent of the time.
1:40:33 PM
CHAIR DAVIS closed public testimony.
SENATOR PASKVAN moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute
(CS) to SB 168, labeled 26-LS0799\R, as the working document of
the committee. There being no objection, version R was before
the committee.
SENATOR PASKVAN provided an overview of Amendment 1 to draft
version R. He said the purpose is to remove the word
"uncompensated" throughout the bill, where it refers to trauma
care.
CHAIR DAVIS asked for a motion to adopt the amendment.
SENATOR PASKVAN moved to adopt Amendment R.1 to CSSB 168. There
being no objection, Amendment R.1 was adopted.
SENATOR THOMAS read from page 2, line 14(d), which provides that
"the commissioner may not provide more than 25 percent of the
total assets, including earnings, of the fund in a fiscal year
to one trauma center." He said 50 percent of that fund [Alcohol
and Other Drug Treatment and Prevention Fund (ADTP)] is already
dedicated for drug and alcohol related prevention and asked if
the 25 percent refers to the entire amount, or the 50 percent
that remains beyond the dedicated amount.
TOM OBERMEYER said the statutory authority is found in AS
43.60.050.
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL said his understanding is that the amount
of the tax available to the [trauma care] fund from the alcohol
tax is a specified amount and the amount that can be
appropriated from the fund is also limited, so there are two
different limitations. The intent was that only so much of the
alcohol tax would come into this fund.
1:45:50 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN moved to report CSSB 168 as amended from the
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note(s). There being no objection, CSSB 168(HSS) moved from
committee.
1:46:55 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 1:46 p.m.
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