00                      CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 83(HSS)                                                                    
01 "An Act relating to health care insurance; relating to insurance reimbursement for                                      
02 health care services provided through telehealth; relating to telehealth; providing for an                              
03 effective date by repealing the effective date of secs. 9 and 10, ch. 38, SLA 2022; and                                 
04 providing for an effective date."                                                                                       
05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
06    * Section 1. AS 21.42.422(b) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                         
07                 (3)  "health care provider" has the meaning given in AS 21.07.250.                                      
08    * Sec. 2. AS 21.42.422 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                              
09            (c)  A health care insurer shall reimburse a health care provider for health care                            
10       services, including behavioral health services, provided through telehealth on the same                           
11       basis and at least at the same rate as for comparable health care services provided in                            
12       person.                                                                                                           
13    * Sec. 3. AS 29.10.200 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                               
14                 (68)  AS 29.20.420 (health care insurance plans).                                                       

01    * Sec. 4. AS 29.20 is amended by adding a new section to article 5 to read:                                        
02 Sec. 29.20.420. Health care insurance plans. (a) If a municipality offers a                                           
03 group health care insurance plan covering municipal employees, including by means                                       
04 of self-insurance, the municipal health care insurance plan is subject to the                                           
05       requirements of AS 21.42.422(c).                                                                                  
06            (b)  This section applies to home rule and general law municipalities.                                       
07            (c)  In this section, "health care insurance plan" has the meaning given in                                  
08       AS 21.54.500.                                                                                                     
09    * Sec. 5. AS 39.30.090(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
10 (a)  The Department of Administration may obtain a policy or policies of group                                          
11 insurance covering state employees, persons entitled to coverage under AS 14.25.168,                                    
12 14.25.480, AS 22.25.090, AS 39.35.535, 39.35.880, or former AS 39.37.145,                                               
13 employees of other participating governmental units, or persons entitled to coverage                                    
14       under AS 23.15.136, subject to the following conditions:                                                          
15 (1)  a group insurance policy shall provide one or more of the following                                                
16 benefits: life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, weekly                                          
17 indemnity insurance, hospital expense insurance, surgical expense insurance, dental                                     
18       expense insurance, audiovisual insurance, or other medical care insurance;                                        
19 (2)  each eligible employee of the state, the spouse and the unmarried                                                  
20 children chiefly dependent on the eligible employee for support, and each eligible                                      
21 employee of another participating governmental unit shall be covered by the group                                       
22 policy, unless exempt under regulations adopted by the commissioner of                                                  
23       administration;                                                                                                   
24                 (3)  a governmental unit may participate under a group policy if                                        
25 (A)  its governing body adopts a resolution authorizing                                                                 
26            participation and payment of required premiums;                                                              
27 (B)  a certified copy of the resolution is filed with the                                                               
28            Department of Administration; and                                                                            
29 (C)  the commissioner of administration approves the                                                                    
30            participation in writing;                                                                                    
31 (4)  in procuring a policy of group health or group life insurance as                                                   

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

01 (8)  a person electing to have insurance under (7) of this subsection                                                   
02       shall pay the cost of this insurance;                                                                             
03 (9)  for each permanent part-time employee electing coverage under                                                      
04 this section, the state shall contribute one-half the state contribution rate for permanent                             
05 full-time state employees, and the permanent part-time employee shall contribute the                                    
06       other one-half;                                                                                                   
07 (10)  a person receiving benefits under AS 14.25, AS 22.25, AS 39.35,                                                   
08 or former AS 39.37 may obtain auditory, visual, and dental insurance for that person                                    
09 and eligible dependents under this section; the level of coverage for persons over 65                                   
10 shall be the same as that available before reaching age 65 except that the benefits                                     
11 payable shall be supplemental to any benefits provided under the federal old age,                                       
12 survivors, and disability insurance program; a person electing to have insurance under                                  
13 this paragraph shall pay the cost of the insurance; the commissioner of administration                                  
14       shall adopt regulations implementing this paragraph;                                                              
15 (11)  a person receiving benefits under AS 14.25, AS 22.25, AS 39.35,                                                   
16 or former AS 39.37 may obtain long-term care insurance for that person and eligible                                     
17 dependents under this section; a person who elects insurance under this paragraph                                       
18 shall pay the cost of the insurance premium; the commissioner of administration shall                                   
19       adopt regulations to implement this paragraph;                                                                    
20 (12)  each licensee holding a current operating agreement for a vending                                                 
21 facility under AS 23.15.010 - 23.15.210 shall be covered by the group policy that                                       
22       applies to governmental units other than the state;                                                           
23 (13)  a group health insurance policy covering employees of a                                                       
24       participating governmental unit must meet the requirements of AS 21.42.422(c).                                
25    * Sec. 6. AS 39.30.091 is amended to read:                                                                         
26 Sec. 39.30.091. Authorization for self-insurance and excess loss insurance.                                           
27 Notwithstanding AS 21.86.310 or AS 39.30.090, the Department of Administration                                          
28 may provide, by means of self-insurance, one or more of the benefits listed in                                          
29 AS 39.30.090(a)(1) for state employees eligible for the benefits by law or under a                                      
30 collective bargaining agreement and for persons receiving benefits under AS 14.25,                                      
31 AS 22.25, AS 39.35, or former AS 39.37, and their dependents. The department shall                                      

01       procure any necessary excess loss insurance under AS 39.30.090. A self-insured                                
02       group health insurance plan covering active state employees provided under this                               
03       section is subject to the requirements of AS 21.42.422(c).                                                    
04    * Sec. 7. Sections 9, 10, and 13, ch. 38, SLA 2022, are repealed.                                                  
05    * Sec. 8. Section 14, ch. 38, SLA 2022, is repealed.                                                               
06    * Sec. 9. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.