03/07/2023 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

         HB 59-MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY: POSTPARTUM MOTHERS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:22:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  59, "An  Act relating  to Medicaid  eligibility;                                                               
expanding  eligibility for  postpartum mothers;  conditioning the                                                               
expansion  of  eligibility  on  approval  by  the  United  States                                                               
Department of  Health and  Human Services;  and providing  for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:22:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX opened public testimony on HB 59.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:23:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BROOKE  IVY,  Vice  President  of  Policy  and  Advocacy,  Alaska                                                               
Children's Trust, said  the Alaska Children's Trust  was the lead                                                               
agency on  preventing child  abuse and  neglect.   She emphasized                                                               
that extending  postpartum Medicaid  care was  primary prevention                                                               
and would  give mothers more  time to address  postpartum medical                                                               
issues.   She stated that  41 percent of all  substantiated child                                                               
abuse and neglect  cases in Alaska took place  when children were                                                               
age  birth  to  four.    She  added  that  postpartum  depression                                                               
decreased child  safety practice, decreased health  check-ups for                                                               
the child,  and made bonding  more difficult, and  that extending                                                               
postpartum  coverage   would  also  reduce  maternal   death  and                                                               
decrease medical debt.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:25:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAMIE   MORGAN,  Senior   Government  Relations   Regional  Lead,                                                               
American Heart Association, stated  the global maternal mortality                                                               
rate was decreasing,  while the U.S. maternal  mortality rate was                                                               
increasing.  She added that  heart disease and stroke constituted                                                               
more than one in three  pregnancy related deaths primarily due to                                                               
cardiomyopathy, cerebrovascular disease,  or other cardiovascular                                                               
conditions.   She emphasized  the death of  a mother  impacts the                                                               
child,  the   family,  and  the  community,   and  that  maternal                                                               
morbidity had lasting health consequences and medical expenses.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORGAN  said the  American Heart  Association had  released a                                                               
policy  statement, Call  to Action:  Maternal  Health and  Saving                                                             
Mothers,  in   the  journal,  Circulation,  which   had  the  key                                                           
recommendation  to  extend  Medicaid postpartum  coverage.    She                                                               
stated that the  American Heart Association was in  support of HB
  to  give  children  the   best  start  in  life  and  address                                                               
disparities.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:28:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX,  after ascertaining  that no  one wished  to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony on HB 59.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:29:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved  to report HB 58  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no  objection, HB  58 was reported  from the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.