2000-01-20                     Senate Journal                      Page 2016
SB 207                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 207 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                              
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                          
                                                                               
An Act relating to the establishment and                                      
enforcement of medical support orders for children;                            
and providing for an effective date.                                           
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the Health, Education and              
Social Services, Judiciary and Finance Committees.                             
                                                                               
Zero fiscal note published today from Department of Revenue.                   
                                                                               
Governors transmittal letter dated January 19:                                 
                                                                               
Dear President Pearce:                                                         
                                                                               
Thanks to the inception of Denali Kid Care in March 1999, 12,000               
more Alaska children and pregnant women have basic medical care.               
The success of this program will have far-reaching and long-term               
effects on the health and well-being of Alaskans.                              
                                                                               
The vast success of Denali Kid Care has brought more into focus,               
however, an ongoing problem with Medicaid benefits and its effect              
on Alaska's child support system. This bill corrects the problem by            
clarifying that a child support order need not be automatically                
established when a custodial parent receives medical benefits through          
Medicaid.                                                                      
                                                                               
The Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) must, under federal              
law, issue a medical support order whenever a custodial parent                 
receives medical benefits through Medicaid. The support order                  
requires either parent to provide health care coverage for the child           
if it is available at a reasonable cost. Currently, the CSED cannot            
establish a medical support order only; it must be in conjunction              
with a child support order that seeks monthly support payments.                
The custodial parent, however, may not want to pursue child support            
for various reasons. The current requirement to do so, then, becomes           
a disincentive to seek valuable medical benefits through Denali Kid            
Care. To allow more flexibility in such cases, this bill gives parents         
the option of requesting a medical support order only, without an              
accompanying child support order.                                              

2000-01-20                     Senate Journal                      Page 2017
SB 207                                                                       
This bill also amends the medical support statutes to provide that             
either parent, not simply the obligor parent, may be required to               
provide health care coverage if coverage is available to the parent at         
a reasonable cost. By making this change, the bill assures that the            
statutory requirements for medical support orders are consistent with          
the requirements of Alaska Civil Rules and related federal law. This           
bill also makes it clear that a medical support order can be issued            
regardless of whether health care coverage is currently available to           
either parent. This makes medical support a continuing obligation on           
the part of either parent to provide health care coverage for the child        
whenever it is available at a reasonable cost.                                 
                                                                               
In the interest of the health of Alaska's children, I urge your prompt         
and favorable action on this bill.                                             
                                                                               
					Sincerely,                                                                
					/s/                                                                       
					Tony Knowles                                                              
					Governor