00                            SENATE BILL NO. 83                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to health care insurance; relating to insurance reimbursement for                                      
02 health care services provided through telehealth; and providing for an effective date."                                 
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 21.42 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
05 Sec. 21.42.450. Coverage for telehealth. A health care insurer shall reimburse                                        
06 a health care provider for health care services provided through telehealth on the same                                 
07 basis and at least at the same rate as for comparable health care services provided in                                  
08 person. In this section, "health care provider" has the meaning given in AS 21.07.250.                                  
09    * Sec. 2. AS 21.42.599 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                               
10                 (9)  "telehealth" has the meaning given in AS 47.05.270(e).                                             
11    * Sec. 3. AS 29.10.200 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                               
12                 (68)  AS 29.20.420 (health care insurance plans).                                                       
13    * Sec. 4. AS 29.20 is amended by adding a new section to article 5 to read:                                        
14            Sec. 29.20.420. Health care insurance plans. (a) If a municipality offers a                                

01       group health care insurance plan covering municipal employees, including by means                                 
02       of self-insurance, the municipal health care insurance plan is subject to the                                     
03       requirements of AS 21.42.450.                                                                                     
04            (b)  This section applies to home rule and general law municipalities.                                       
05            (c)  In this section, "health care insurance plan" has the meaning given in                                  
06       AS 21.54.500.                                                                                                     
07    * Sec. 5. AS 39.30.090(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
08            (a)  The Department of Administration may obtain a policy or policies of group                               
09       insurance covering state employees, persons entitled to coverage under AS 14.25.168,                              
10 14.25.480, AS 22.25.090, AS 39.35.535, 39.35.880, or former AS 39.37.145,                                               
11 employees of other participating governmental units, or persons entitled to coverage                                    
12       under AS 23.15.136, subject to the following conditions:                                                          
13 (1)  a group insurance policy shall provide one or more of the following                                                
14 benefits: life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, weekly                                          
15 indemnity insurance, hospital expense insurance, surgical expense insurance, dental                                     
16       expense insurance, audiovisual insurance, or other medical care insurance;                                        
17 (2)  each eligible employee of the state, the spouse and the unmarried                                                  
18 children chiefly dependent on the eligible employee for support, and each eligible                                      
19 employee of another participating governmental unit shall be covered by the group                                       
20 policy, unless exempt under regulations adopted by the commissioner of                                                  
21       administration;                                                                                                   
22                 (3)  a governmental unit may participate under a group policy if                                        
23 (A)  its governing body adopts a resolution authorizing                                                                 
24            participation and payment of required premiums;                                                              
25 (B)  a certified copy of the resolution is filed with the                                                               
26            Department of Administration; and                                                                            
27 (C)  the commissioner of administration approves the                                                                    
28            participation in writing;                                                                                    
29 (4)  in procuring a policy of group health or group life insurance as                                                   
30 provided under this section or excess loss insurance as provided in AS 39.30.091, the                                   
31 Department of Administration shall comply with the dual choice requirements of                                          

01 AS 21.86.310, and shall obtain the insurance policy from an insurer authorized to                                       
02 transact business in the state under AS 21.09, a hospital or medical service corporation                                
03 authorized to transact business in this state under AS 21.87, or a health maintenance                                   
04 organization authorized to operate in this state under AS 21.86; an excess loss                                         
05 insurance policy may be obtained from a life or health insurer authorized to transact                                   
06 business in this state under AS 21.09 or from a hospital or medical service corporation                                 
07       authorized to transact business in this state under AS 21.87;                                                     
08 (5)  the Department of Administration shall make available bid                                                          
09 specifications for desired insurance benefits or for administration of benefit claims and                               
10 payments to (A) all insurance carriers authorized to transact business in this state                                    
11 under AS 21.09 and all hospital or medical service corporations authorized to transact                                  
12 business under AS 21.87 who are qualified to provide the desired benefits; and (B)                                      
13 insurance carriers authorized to transact business in this state under AS 21.09, hospital                               
14 or medical service corporations authorized to transact business under AS 21.87, and                                     
15 third-party administrators licensed to transact business in this state and qualified to                                 
16 provide administrative services; the specifications shall be made available at least once                               
17 every five years; the lowest responsible bid submitted by an insurance carrier, hospital                                
18 or medical service corporation, or third-party administrator with adequate servicing                                    
19 facilities shall govern selection of a carrier, hospital or medical service corporation, or                             
20 third-party administrator under this section or the selection of an insurance carrier or a                              
21 hospital or medical service corporation to provide excess loss insurance as provided in                                 
22       AS 39.30.091;                                                                                                     
23 (6)  if the aggregate of dividends payable under the group insurance                                                    
24 policy exceeds the governmental unit's share of the premium, the excess shall be                                        
25       applied by the governmental unit for the sole benefit of the employees;                                           
26 (7)  a person receiving benefits under AS 14.25.110, AS 22.25,                                                          
27 AS 39.35, or former AS 39.37 may continue the life insurance coverage that was in                                       
28 effect under this section at the time of termination of employment with the state or                                    
29       participating governmental unit;                                                                                  
30 (8)  a person electing to have insurance under (7) of this subsection                                                   
31       shall pay the cost of this insurance;                                                                             

01 (9)  for each permanent part-time employee electing coverage under                                                      
02 this section, the state shall contribute one-half the state contribution rate for permanent                             
03 full-time state employees, and the permanent part-time employee shall contribute the                                    
04       other one-half;                                                                                                   
05 (10)  a person receiving benefits under AS 14.25, AS 22.25, AS 39.35,                                                   
06 or former AS 39.37 may obtain auditory, visual, and dental insurance for that person                                    
07 and eligible dependents under this section; the level of coverage for persons over 65                                   
08 shall be the same as that available before reaching age 65 except that the benefits                                     
09 payable shall be supplemental to any benefits provided under the federal old age,                                       
10 survivors, and disability insurance program; a person electing to have insurance under                                  
11 this paragraph shall pay the cost of the insurance; the commissioner of administration                                  
12       shall adopt regulations implementing this paragraph;                                                              
13 (11)  a person receiving benefits under AS 14.25, AS 22.25, AS 39.35,                                                   
14 or former AS 39.37 may obtain long-term care insurance for that person and eligible                                     
15 dependents under this section; a person who elects insurance under this paragraph                                       
16 shall pay the cost of the insurance premium; the commissioner of administration shall                                   
17       adopt regulations to implement this paragraph;                                                                    
18 (12)  each licensee holding a current operating agreement for a vending                                                 
19 facility under AS 23.15.010 - 23.15.210 shall be covered by the group policy that                                       
20       applies to governmental units other than the state;                                                           
21 (13)  a group health insurance policy covering employees of a                                                       
22       participating governmental unit must meet the requirements of AS 21.42.450.                                   
23    * Sec. 6. AS 39.30.091 is amended to read:                                                                         
24 Sec. 39.30.091. Authorization for self-insurance and excess loss insurance.                                           
25 Notwithstanding AS 21.86.310 or AS 39.30.090, the Department of Administration                                          
26 may provide, by means of self-insurance, one or more of the benefits listed in                                          
27 AS 39.30.090(a)(1) for state employees eligible for the benefits by law or under a                                      
28 collective bargaining agreement and for persons receiving benefits under AS 14.25,                                      
29 AS 22.25, AS 39.35, or former AS 39.37, and their dependents. The department shall                                      
30 procure any necessary excess loss insurance under AS 39.30.090. A self-insured                                      
31 group health insurance plan covering active state employees provided under this                                     

01       section is subject to the requirements of AS 21.42.450.                                                       
02    * Sec. 7. AS 21.42.422(b)(2) is repealed.                                                                          
03    * Sec. 8. This Act takes effect July 1, 2025.