Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
03/17/2014 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Adjourn | |
| Start | |
| HB316 | |
| HB282 | |
| SB159 | |
| HB288 | |
| HB281 |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 159 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 288 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 281 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 316 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 282 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 316-WORKERS' COMPENSATION MEDICAL FEES
3:19:52 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 316, "An Act relating to workers' compensation
fees for medical treatment and services; relating to workers'
compensation regulations; and providing for an effective date."
[Before the committee was Version O, labeled 28-LS1362\0,
Wallace, 3/10/14, adopted on 3/10/14.]
3:20:30 PM
ANNA LATHAM, Staff, Representative Kurt Olson, Alaska State
Legislature, stated that Version O would set the fee schedules
for workers' compensation based on a resource-based relative
value scale, which in turn is based on the Centers for Medicaid
and Medicare services, including a conversion factor set by the
medical services review committee (MSRC). The MSRC would advise
the workers' compensation board to set conversion factors for
the fee schedules.
3:21:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD made a motion to adopt Amendment 1,
labeled 28-LS1362\O.1, Wallace, 3/10/14, which read:
Page 3, line 12, following the second instance of
"the":
Insert "original"
Page 3, line 15, following the first instance of
"the":
Insert "original manufacturer's"
CHAIR OLSON objected for the purpose of discussion.
3:21:51 PM
MS. LATHAM explained that the Amendment [1] would add language
on page 3, line 12, to insert "original" and on page 3, line 15
to insert "original manufacturer's" with the intent that it
would avoid the higher priced invoice costs for prescriptions or
the mark ups on the original fees.
CHAIR OLSON removed his objection. There being no further
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.
3:22:58 PM
SALLIE STEVEK, Human Resources Director, Fairbanks North Star
Borough (FNSB), stated this is the third time she has testified
in support of HB 316. She appreciated the work addressing the
concerns. As an employer with a self-funded workers'
compensation program, she also appreciated the efforts to reform
an expensive system. Mayor Hopkins spoke in favor of HB 316
last week and the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly adopted
a resolution supporting the Workers' Compensation Board
recommendations.
3:24:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON, relative to current law, asked whether
the FNSB knows what rate reduction will be achieved under the
bill using Medicare and the conversion factor.
MS. STEVEK answered no. The FNSB hasn't performed any analysis,
but she believes that the bill will definitely reduce the costs.
She shared the concern of previous testifiers to be certain that
when workers are injured that they are able to get care and this
is why the multiplier and allowing the workers' compensation
board to set rates is a reasonable way to address this.
3:25:58 PM
CHAIR OLSON, after first determining no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on HB 316.
[HB 316 was held over.]