03/05/2024 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

         HB 344-MEDICAL ASSIST. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:13:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 344,  "An  Act  relating to  medical  assistance                                                               
demonstration projects established by the Department of Health."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:13:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EMILY  RICCI, Deputy  Commissioner,  Department  of Health,  gave                                                               
invited  testimony on  HB  344.  She said  HB  344 would  provide                                                               
authorization  to the  DOH  to apply  for  an 1115  demonstration                                                               
project and added  that HB 344 supports the DOH's  goal of moving                                                               
from  patient's   acute  healthcare   needs  to   prevention  and                                                               
stabilization of patients chronic or ongoing healthcare needs.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:15:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA   asked  if  the  DOH   had  considered  the                                                               
Department  of  Housing  and Urban  Development  (DHUD)'s  recent                                                               
unveiling  of the  Housing and  Services Partnership  Accelerator                                                               
(HSPA) and  its implications for  a piece of legislation  like HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. RICCI responded that the  DOH has not directly considered the                                                               
DHUD's  new HSPA  program  but  said that  the  department is  in                                                               
conversation   with   multiple   national  groups   to   identify                                                               
opportunities to leverage.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA asked  for clarification  as to  how a  1115                                                               
waiver works  and how  it correlates  to health-related  needs in                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. RICCI  explained that the 1115  waiver is a tool  used by the                                                               
DOH to  achieve specific policy/programmatic goals  and said that                                                               
there  is  ample  statutory  language  to  currently  to  explore                                                               
federal  opportunities  related  to federal  re-entry  care.  She                                                               
emphasized that  any budgetary  impacts must  be approved  by the                                                               
legislature.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA  asked why there  is a focus on  the re-entry                                                               
provision of HB 344.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. RICCI  answered that the  focus on the re-entry  provision is                                                               
largely in areas of healthcare,  behavioral health, and substance                                                               
use disorders.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:19:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  asked when  the legislature could  expect to  see the                                                               
application of the re-entry provision of HB 344.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. RICCI explained that the  DOH would first need contractors to                                                               
complete the technical developmental work  and said the DOH would                                                               
anticipate   substantial   community    engagement   and   tribal                                                               
consultation                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:21:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE moved  to report HB 344 out  of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, HB  344 was  reported from  the House                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.