02/16/2010 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                HB 168-TRAUMA CARE CENTERS/FUND                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:19:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                              
be HOUSE  BILL NO.  168, "An Act  relating to state  certification                                                              
and  designation of  trauma  centers; creating  the  uncompensated                                                              
trauma care fund  to offset uncompensated trauma  care provided at                                                              
certified  and designated  trauma  centers; and  providing for  an                                                              
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:20:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JOHN COGHILL,  Alaska State  Legislature, explained  that                                                              
HB 168 would  create an account for payment of  uncompensated care                                                              
to  hospitals that  "ratchet  up their  level  of trauma  delivery                                                              
systems," defined  to be a  Level II or  Level III.   He explained                                                              
that the request  for a $5M appropriation was based  on a study of                                                              
uncompensated trauma related care.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON  reminded the committee  that an  earlier proposed                                                              
amendment had  not been introduced.   He  asked if there  were any                                                              
suggested changes to that amendment.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COGHILL suggested  that  the "tobacco  money" would  draw                                                              
away from the  tobacco education issues, and he  reminded that the                                                              
original  focus of  the tobacco  suit and settlement  had  been to                                                              
reduce smoking.   He opined  that alcohol was more  interconnected                                                              
with  this bill,  and  he suggested  using  the alcohol  tax as  a                                                              
funding  source.   Noting  that  boating, skiing,  and  4-wheeling                                                              
often  resulted   in  trauma   care,  he   suggested  that   these                                                              
activities could also be sources for funding.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HERRON   reported  that   alcohol  abuse  was   often  a                                                              
contributing factor to trauma.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:23:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COGHILL agreed  that both  alcohol and  drugs often  were                                                              
significant contributors.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
[CO-CHAIR HERRON opened public testimony.]                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:24:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WARD  HURLBURT,  Chief  Medical  Officer;  Director,  Division  of                                                              
Public Health,  Office of the  Commissioner, Department  of Health                                                              
and  Social Services  (DHSS), asked  if there  were any  questions                                                              
from  his prior  testimony on  February  9.   Noting his  personal                                                              
background  as a  surgeon, he  agreed  that alcohol  was a  common                                                              
factor in trauma.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:26:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REGINA CHENNAULT,  Chair, American  College of Surgeons  Committee                                                              
on Trauma, Alaska  Trauma System Review Committee,  shared that 80                                                              
percent of violent crimes involved alcohol or drugs.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:27:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:27:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KELLER read the  proposed Amendment  1, labeled  Version                                                              
26-LS0437\R.3, Bullock, 2/16/10:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 3, following "centers":                                                                                     
          Insert "and including a portion of the tax levy                                                                     
     on  alcohol   as  a   source  of   money  that  may   be                                                                 
     appropriated to the trauma care fund"                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 12:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "*  Sec.  3. AS 43.60  is  amended  by adding  a  new                                                               
     section to read:                                                                                                           
               Sec. 43.60.055. Disposition of proceeds;                                                                       
     availability  for  appropriation  to  the  uncompensated                                                                 
     trauma  care  fund. The  portion  of the  tax  collected                                                                 
     under  AS 43.60.010  that is  not  separately  accounted                                                                   
     for  under AS 43.60.050(a)  may be  appropriated to  the                                                                   
     uncompensated  trauma care fund (AS 18.08.085).  Nothing                                                                   
     in this section creates a dedicated fund."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KELLER moved  to adopt  Version 26-LS0437\R.3,  Bullock,                                                              
2/16/10 as  Amendment 1.   There being  no objection,  Amendment 1                                                              
was adopted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:31:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COGHILL  said that there  were consultations with  the air                                                              
force  and  the  army  trauma  doctors  for  assistance  in  local                                                              
hospitals.   He lauded the efforts  of first responders  and noted                                                              
the necessity  of having trauma  centers for continued  successful                                                              
care.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:32:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER  moved to  report CSHB  168(HSS) out of  committee                                                              
with  individual  recommendations   and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                              
notes.   There  being  no objection,  CSHB  168(HSS) was  reported                                                              
from the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.