03/31/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

        HB  17-CONTRACEPTIVES COVERAGE:INSURE;MED ASSIST                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:43:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 17,  "An Act relating  to insurance  coverage for                                                               
contraceptives   and  related   services;  relating   to  medical                                                               
assistance coverage for contraceptives  and related services; and                                                               
providing  for an  effective date."   [Before  the committee  was                                                               
CSHB 17(HSS), which was moved out  of the House Health and Social                                                               
Services Standing Committee on 3/7/23.]                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:43:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on HB 17.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:43:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MORGAN  LIM,  Lobbyist,  Planned  Parenthood  Alliance  Advocates                                                               
Alaska,   provided  public   testimony  on   behalf  of   Planned                                                               
Parenthood Alliance  Advocates Alaska  in support of  HB 17.   He                                                               
expressed  the   opinion  that  people  deserve   affordable  and                                                               
accessible birth  control, as consistent  access would  allow for                                                               
control  over  an  individual's  life, such  as  for  career  and                                                               
educational  opportunities.   He suggested  that this  would also                                                               
promote  healthier   pregnancies  and  savings  on   health  care                                                               
spending.   He  pointed out  that the  majority of  Alaskans have                                                               
voted for accessible  birth control.  He added  that the proposed                                                               
legislation  would  [positively]  impact those  living  in  rural                                                               
Alaska.  He  explained that hormonal birth control  is 95 percent                                                               
effective  with  perfect  use;  however,  monthly  trips  to  the                                                               
pharmacy can be  difficult for many people,  especially for those                                                               
with  a lower  income or  those  who live  in rural  communities;                                                               
therefore,  these   individuals  would  more   likely  experience                                                               
unintended pregnancies.   He  stated that  access to  an extended                                                               
supply  of contraception  is also  important for  those who  work                                                               
multiple jobs, those  who are young adults, or  those involved in                                                               
violent  intimate partnerships  with reproductive  coercion.   He                                                               
stated that  22 states have  already passed  similar legislation,                                                               
and  evidence shows  that  an extended  supply  of birth  control                                                               
decreases the  occurrence of unintended pregnancies  and the need                                                               
for  abortion  services.    He  added that  this  makes  it  cost                                                               
effective.  He  cited the research supporting  this statement and                                                               
urged support for HB 17.  He thanked the committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:47:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATELYN  SAFT,  representing  self,   gave  public  testimony  in                                                               
support of HB 17.  She shared  that she is a lifelong Alaskan and                                                               
expressed  the   understanding  of  the  barriers   in  obtaining                                                               
contraceptive care.  She stated  that with limited abortion care,                                                               
it  is important  to maintain  access to  contraception, as  this                                                               
would decrease the number of unintended pregnancies.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:48:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ALYSSA  QUINTYNE, representing  self,  gave  public testimony  in                                                               
support of HB  17.  She related that she  lives with a polycystic                                                               
disorder   medical   condition,   and  this   has   resulted   in                                                               
complications with  severe symptoms  in her  reproductive system.                                                               
She stated that  she was put on puberty blockers  and had been to                                                               
multiple  doctors before  being diagnosed.   Once  diagnosed, she                                                               
was  placed  on  hormonal  birth  control  which  has  eased  her                                                               
symptoms.   She discussed  the difficulty  she has  had obtaining                                                               
medications,  and  the  judgements   she  has  faced  with  those                                                               
administering the medication  in the pharmacies.   She urged that                                                               
the committee support the proposed legislation.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:51:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAMELA  SAMASH,  representing  self,  gave  public  testimony  in                                                               
opposition  to HB  17.   She  shared that  she lives  in a  rural                                                               
community  and has  been  able to  obtain  birth control  anytime                                                               
through telehealth.   She argued that there is no  risk for rural                                                               
residents in  this aspect.  She  shared that after she  took oral                                                               
birth control for  three months, lumps developed  in her breasts.                                                               
She  argued that  individuals seeking  birth control  must see  a                                                               
doctor, as  these medications  can be  dangerous.   She expressed                                                               
the opinion  that birth control can  be deadly to women,  such in                                                               
the occurrence  of a blood clot  or heart condition.   She argued                                                               
that because birth control stops  eggs from being fertilized once                                                               
released, this is  a method of abortion.  She  concluded with the                                                               
argument that  the proposed legislation  "is a way to  get Native                                                               
people to  stop having babies."   She continued that  anytime the                                                               
word "rural"  is used it  means "Native;" therefore, the  bill is                                                               
discriminatory.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:53:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROSE O'HARA-JOLLEY,  representing self, gave public  testimony in                                                               
support of  HB 17.  She  expressed the opinion that  the proposed                                                               
legislation  would  improve  the   lives  of  people  in  Alaska,                                                               
especially women.  She shared that  she has spent the majority of                                                               
her  time  in   Alaska  as  a  rural  resident,   working  in  an                                                               
environment  away from  health care.   She  shared that  when she                                                               
began having [reproductive] health  issues, getting to a pharmacy                                                               
was  an issue.   She  began  taking oral  contraceptives for  her                                                               
condition, and she  stated that her doctor felt  that taking this                                                               
"was   perfectly  healthy,"   and  she   was  given   a  yearlong                                                               
prescription; however,  she was only  able to obtain  one month's                                                               
supply from the pharmacy even  though she lived hundreds of miles                                                               
away.   She  stated that  she was  forced to  do the  drive every                                                               
month to  fill the prescription.   She deduced that over  $800 in                                                               
expenses  and wages  were lost.   She  added that  she was  lucky                                                               
because  her supervisor  understood, and  she lived  on the  road                                                               
system.   Addressing  the ability  to  receive contraception  via                                                               
telehealth, she  stated that she  lived 30 minutes away  from the                                                               
post office where there  was always a wait to pick  up mail.  She                                                               
referenced the delay  of mail in rural Alaska,  especially in the                                                               
winter.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:57:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
OLIVIA LYNN, representing self,  gave public testimony in support                                                               
of  HB 17.   She  shared that  she is  a lifelong  Alaskan.   She                                                               
stated that  as a single woman  birth control is a  necessity for                                                               
her to be competitive in her  work as an electrician.  She stated                                                               
that without birth control, her  work productivity would decrease                                                               
monthly  because  of  "managing  my symptoms  -  everything  from                                                               
cramps to  bleeding to  headaches."   She argued  that consistent                                                               
access to  birth control allows  everyone the  same opportunities                                                               
in the workplace.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:59:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ED   MARTIN,  representing   self,  gave   public  testimony   in                                                               
opposition  to HB  17.   He  suggested that  Chair Sumner  should                                                               
claim a conflict  of interest in terms of voting  on the proposed                                                               
legislation, as "it may pertain to  you making money off of a ...                                                               
a future  sale for  which this  bill would  support."   He argued                                                               
that  at  one   time  his  spouse  became  sick   from  taking  a                                                               
contraceptive, and  many women have  gotten sick;  therefore, the                                                               
proposed legislation  is not  good for human  health.   He argued                                                               
that abortion has already taken  60 million lives and pointed out                                                               
the  loss  of labor  from  the  death  of  future children.    He                                                               
expressed the  opinion that the  proposed legislation  would pass                                                               
the  cost on  to those  on Medicaid.   He  addressed the  unmoral                                                               
issue  of  the  proposed  legislation, as  it  would  affect  his                                                               
finances and his religious beliefs.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:01:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER, after  ascertaining that there was no  one else who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:02:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK  gave  final  comments  on  the  proposed                                                               
legislation.  She  pointed out the stories  from public testimony                                                               
of how  birth control has  helped their  lives.  She  pointed out                                                               
that the  proposed legislation would not  change the relationship                                                               
between the  provider and the  patient.  She maintained  that the                                                               
length of the prescription would  not change, but it would change                                                               
in relation to  the insurance coverage and  the relationship with                                                               
the  insurer.   She reminded  the committee  that women  on birth                                                               
control have a 30 percent drop  in unplanned pregnancies and a 46                                                               
percent  drop in  the  likelihood  of having  an  abortion.   She                                                               
reiterated that  the proposed legislation would  remove a barrier                                                               
to care that other states have already recognized.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:04:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE moved  to  report CSHB  17(HSS) out  of                                                               
committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  the  attached                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHB  17(HSS)  was                                                               
reported out of the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.