02/28/2022 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

        HB 58-CONTRACEPTIVES COVERAGE:INSURE;MED ASSIST                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would  be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  58,  "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."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:22:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS moved to adopt  the proposed committee substitute                                                               
(CS)  for  HB 58,  labeled  32-LS0259\I,  Marx, 5/14/21,  as  the                                                               
working  document.   There  being  no  objection, Version  I  was                                                               
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:23:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LIZZIE  KUBITZ, Staff,  Representative Matt  Claman, provided  an                                                               
explanation of the changes in Version  I of the bill on behalf of                                                               
Representative  Claman,  prime  sponsor.    She  said  Version  I                                                               
removes  the  reference  to  voluntary  sterilization  procedures                                                               
found in Version B,  page 2, line 1.  She  related that in spring                                                               
2021 the  Division of Insurance  was advised by the  U.S. Centers                                                               
for Medicare and Medicaid Services  (CMS) that male sterilization                                                               
as written in  Version B is broader than what  is required by the                                                               
federal government.  The [2010  Patient Protection and Affordable                                                               
Care  Act  ("Affordable  Care Act")]  defines  the  10  essential                                                               
health benefits,  which includes coverage for  contraceptives, to                                                               
be as  broad as the  guidelines provided by the  Health Resources                                                               
and Services Administrative  (HRSA) Women's Preventative Services                                                               
Guidelines.  The HRSA guidelines  are applicable to females, they                                                               
do not address male contraceptives  or sterilization.  Therefore,                                                               
because the federal  government would expect the  state to defray                                                               
the cost  of male sterilization  as provided  in Version B  of HB
, Version  I was drafted  to remove the reference  to voluntary                                                               
sterilization procedures.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:24:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ   stated  it's  unfortunate  that   it's  not                                                               
included  in one  of the  essential benefits  as required  by the                                                               
Affordable Care Act.   But, she said, it would  add a significant                                                               
fiscal note to the bill, and  the intention is to ensure that the                                                               
bill  doesn't have  a significant  fiscal impact.   She  stressed                                                               
that it isn't being said  that male sterilization isn't a welcome                                                               
contribution to family planning in Alaska.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:24:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS moved  to  report  the proposed  CS  for HB  58,                                                               
Version  32-LS0259\I,  Marx,  5/14/21,   out  of  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:25:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:25:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote was  taken.  Representatives  McCarty, Schrage,                                                               
Snyder,  Fields,  and  Spohnholz  voted  in  favor  of  reporting                                                               
Version I  of HB  58.  Representatives  Nelson voted  against it.                                                               
Therefore,  CSHB 58(L&C)  was moved  out of  the House  Labor and                                                               
Commerce Standing Committee by a vote of 5-1.