04/24/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

        HB 151-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE: CHILDREN UNDER AGE 6                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:40:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced that the  next order of business  was HOUSE                                                               
BILL  NO. 151,  "An Act  relating to  continuous eligibility  for                                                               
medical  assistance for  children  under six  years  of age;  and                                                               
providing  for  an  effective  date."    [Before  the  committee,                                                               
adopted on  4/10/25, was the proposed  committee substitute (CS),                                                               
Version 34-LS0571\N, A. Radford, 3/29/25 ("Version N").]                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:40:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA opened public testimony on HB 151, [Version N].                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:41:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HEIDI   HAAS,   President,   Alaska   Infant   Learning   Program                                                               
Association,  testified in  support  of  HB 151.    She said  she                                                               
believes  HB 151  would ensure  children aged  0-6 would  receive                                                               
appropriate  care   and  reduce  the  administrative   burden  on                                                               
physicians and the State of  Alaska.  She emphasized the positive                                                               
life  outcomes that  are  associated  with continuous  healthcare                                                               
coverage throughout childhood.   She added that  about 57 percent                                                               
of children aged  0-3 enrolled in early  intervention services in                                                               
Alaska are on Medicaid and  the annual recertification process is                                                               
a significant  burden to families  and obstructs  continuous care                                                               
to the  youngest Alaskans.   She said  that HB 151  would benefit                                                               
both Alaska's children and the providers who serve them.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:43:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA, after  ascertaining there was no one  else who wished                                                               
to testify, closed public testimony on HB 151, [Version N].                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:46:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEB   ETHERIDGE,  Director,   Division   of  Public   Assistance,                                                               
Department  of Health,  , in  response to  a series  of questions                                                               
from  Representative  Prax,   stated  that  approximately  27,000                                                               
children under  the age of 5  are enrolled in a  Medicaid program                                                               
and  those children  are continuously  enrolled.   She said  that                                                               
some individuals  miss their  period of  continuous reenrollment,                                                               
causing them  to leave Medicaid with  the need to reenroll.   She                                                               
said that Medicaid  is always the payer of last  resort, making a                                                               
parent's employer  the primary  insurer of  a child  and Medicaid                                                               
the  secondary  payer.    Ms. Etheridge  added  that  there  have                                                               
recently  been higher  rates of  procedural disenrollment  due to                                                               
individuals not being familiar with  reenrollment.  Under HB 151,                                                               
there would be  no requirement to return a  reenrollment form for                                                               
a child remaining on Medicaid.   She said that she cannot predict                                                               
the  gamut of  services provided  to children  under three  years                                                               
old.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:51:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ETHRIDGE,  in  response  to   a  series  of  questions  from                                                               
Representative   Ruffridge,   stated  that   Medicaid   currently                                                               
provides children  in Alaska with continuous  eligibility through                                                               
the first year  of their lives.  She said  if an individual meets                                                               
any  category  of  continued  eligibility,   then  they  will  be                                                               
continuously enrolled  for the  next year.   She added  that each                                                               
year the Division of Public  Assistance must determine if a child                                                               
is eligible for continued Medicaid coverage.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:55:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ETHRIDGE, in  response to  Representative Gray,  stated that                                                               
foster  children are  continuously  eligible  for Medicaid,  even                                                               
after adoption, aged 0-18.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:56:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ETHRIDGE, in  response to  Representative Ruffridge,  stated                                                               
that if an individual's Medicaid  is eligible, then it is active.                                                               
She   stated  that   there  is   an  annual   redetermination  of                                                               
eligibility, but under HB 151 that  burden would be on DOH rather                                                               
than the parents of a child aged 0-6.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:58:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. ETHRIDGE,  in response to  Representative  Prax,  stated that                                                               
in  order   to  receive  Medicaid  administered   by  Alaska,  an                                                               
individual  must  be  a  resident of  Alaska;  if  an  individual                                                               
transitions to  another state, they  would need to  apply through                                                               
that   state  for   Medicaid  benefits.     She   described  some                                                               
exceptions,  including  the  case  of temporary  residence  in  a                                                               
medical  facility  outside of  one's  state  of residence.    Ms.                                                               
Etheridge described  the process  of retroactive  eligibility for                                                               
Medicare and Medicaid.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:01:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced that she  would entertain a motion  to move                                                               
HB 151, Version N, from committee.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:01:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MEARS  moved to  report  [CSHB  151, Version  34-                                                               
LS0571\N, A.  Radford, 3/29/25] out of  committee with individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection, CSHB 151(HSS) was  reported out of the House Health                                                               
and Social Services Standing Committee.