00 Enrolled SJR 15 01 Calling on the state's congressional delegation to oppose cuts to federal spending on 02 Medicaid. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:  05 WHEREAS more than 200,000 state residents rely on Medicaid and the Children's 06 Health Insurance Program for health care and long-term care coverage; and 07 WHEREAS Medicaid helps children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low- 08 income adults access hospital, physician, prescription, and nursing home services, as well as 09 behavioral health and home and community-based long-term care services throughout the 10 state; and 11 WHEREAS state residents living in rural and remote areas of the state are enrolled in 12 Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program at a higher rate than those residents 13 living in population centers; and 14 WHEREAS Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program are vital sources 15 of coverage in rural and remote areas where residents face more barriers to accessing care, 16 including chronic provider shortages, limited connectivity, limited health care infrastructure, 01 expensive travel costs to access care, and fewer opportunities for employer-provided health 02 insurance; and 03 WHEREAS nearly 40 percent of all Medicaid enrollees are under 18 years old, 36 04 percent of births are covered by Medicaid each year, and Medicaid and the Children's Health 05 Insurance Program provide health care coverage to nearly 100,000 children in the state; and 06 WHEREAS Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program are critical to 07 maintaining the health and well-being of the state's newborns, new mothers, and children 08 under 18 years old; and 09 WHEREAS Medicaid is the main source of funding for long-term services and 10 supports for seniors and individuals with disabilities, and thousands of the state's seniors rely 11 on Medicaid to help cover Medicare premiums and co-payments, allowing those seniors to 12 live with dignity and independence in the seniors' own homes and communities; and 13 WHEREAS 30 percent of Medicaid enrollees are Alaska Native, and funding from 14 Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program strengthens the Alaska Native Tribal 15 Health Consortium system, helping to improve access to health care in all areas of the state; 16 and 17 WHEREAS, unlike other Medicaid costs, which are shared by the federal government 18 and the state, the federal government covers 100 percent of costs for services provided to 19 Alaska Native Medicaid recipients receiving care through an Indian Health Service facility or 20 at a tribal facility operating on behalf of the Indian Health Service; and 21 WHEREAS states that have implemented Medicaid expansion under the Affordable 22 Care Act currently receive a 90 percent federal match for adults covered through the 23 expansion; and 24 WHEREAS Medicaid drives growth in the health care sector, one of the state's most 25 important sectors in terms of employment and wages, and Medicaid is a major source of 26 funding for high quality union nursing and long-term care jobs in the state; and 27 WHEREAS Medicaid plays a crucial role in supporting the state's small businesses 28 and entrepreneurs by providing access to affordable health care coverage for employees, 29 which helps prevent illness, reduces absenteeism, and improves productivity; and 30 WHEREAS, by ensuring workers have access to necessary medical services, 31 Medicaid enables small businesses to retain a healthier, more reliable workforce, ultimately 01 contributing to economic stability and growth in the state; and 02 WHEREAS, each year, the state receives over $2,000,000,000, nearly 78 percent of 03 Medicaid spending in the state, from federal funding, and those funds provide an economic 04 boost throughout the state; and 05 WHEREAS the United States Congress is considering cuts of nearly 06 $880,000,000,000 to federal spending on Medicaid over 10 years; and 07 WHEREAS spending cuts of this magnitude would force the state to make tough 08 choices about whether to offset reductions with state funding, reduce service levels, cut 09 benefits, or reduce coverage levels, likely leaving tens of thousands of state residents without 10 access to essential health care and long-term services and supports; and 11 WHEREAS the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the importance of fiscal 12 responsibility and supports efforts to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the 13 Medicaid system to ensure that limited resources are used effectively and efficiently; and 14 WHEREAS protecting core Medicaid benefits while pursuing administrative 15 efficiencies and fraud prevention strategies can help preserve the integrity of the program and 16 maintain access to high-quality care for vulnerable populations; 17 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature calls on the state's 18 congressional delegation to oppose cuts to federal spending on Medicaid to protect the state's 19 health care system, communities, citizens, and economy. 20 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 21 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 22 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.