Legislature(2017 - 2018)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/14/2017 05:15 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB72 | |
| HJR14 | |
| SB72 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | HJR 14 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 72 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HJR 14-FCC: INCREASE RURAL HEALTH CARE BUDGET
5:20:50 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of HJR 14. He noted
that the legislation is time sensitive and his intention is to
hear the bill, take public testimony, and hopefully move the
resolution out of committee.
5:21:15 PM
TIMOTHY CLARK, Staff, Representative Bryce Edgmon, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of the resolution, provided
the following overview of HJR 14:
HJR 14 has to do with a Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) funded broadband support program for
rural centers in Alaska and across the country. Rural
Alaska has made great strides in recent years in the
long distance delivery of health care via tele-
medicine; these broadband services expand locally
available treatment options for an increasing number
of maladies including treatment for substance abuse,
they accelerate diagnosis and treatment, and help
Alaskans avoid expensive travel for care, but despite
these advances, we are about to hit a roadblock.
The existence of such services depends on the FCC
Rural Health Care Universal Service Support Program.
The budget for the program has been capped at the same
level since it was established in 1997, 20-years ago.
The program is funded through Universal Service
charges, there is no state-funding obligation. For
most of the program's existence, the $400 million
budget has been enough to meet demand, but as you can
imagine after decades of advances in technology,
increases in demand, and the effect of inflation, the
FCC expects the demand exceed the budget cap for the
first time in 2017.
HJR 14 urges the FCC to increase the Rural Health Care
Universal Support budget sufficiently to adjust for
inflation, to keep up with advances in technology and
services available to increase broadband, and to meet
the increased demand for these broadband-based
services; additionally, the resolution encourages the
FCC to index the program budget for inflation and to
allow any unused funds to be carried forward to future
funding years, this will allow health-care providers
to continue improving access to health care in rural
locations.
5:24:24 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he respects the noted names and
organizations that support HJR 14. He asked Mr. Clark if he was
aware of any opposition to HJR 14.
MR. CLARK answered none that he was aware of. He noted that when
the resolution crossed the floor of the House concern was
expressed regarding the way programs from the Universal Service
charges are funded. He opined that the objection may have been
related to the potential for increased costs to consumers. He
pointed out that a $200 million increase to the budget would
equate to pennies on consumers' bills because the fund is a
nationwide program.
CHAIR WILSON asked Mr. Zasada if he had any comments to add.
5:26:50 PM
JON ZASADA, Policy Integration Director, Alaska Primary Care
Association, Anchorage, Alaska, addressed the need to increase
the rural health-care budget as follows:
This issue is moving quickly, federally. For the
current fiscal year that we are in, some community
health centers are already seeing a drop in the
subsidy that they are receiving through this fund,
meaning that some providers' monthly internet bills
are going up from $500 a month to almost $4,000 a
month. The cap-increase effort is very timely, we are
working so that it doesn't occur for the fiscal year
that starts July 1.
Additional ramifications that I wanted to just share
with the committee, certain SB 74 redesign components
could also be endangered if the cap is not raised and
these include: the ability of rural providers to fully
use tele-health, to undertake care coordination, to
continue to support mental-health parity in rural
communities and in their efforts to address the opioid
epidemic.
Basically, rural health providers have built their
care systems around dedicated internet that is
subsidized through this program and it is very
important. We believe the state of Alaska showed its
full support to the federal government as we go
through the process of having the cap increased.
5:28:44 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if Mr. Zasada believes that Alaska enjoys
more support from the program than what the state likely pays
into the program.
MR. ZASADA replied that Senator Micciche's query is probably the
case. He detailed that Alaska uses about $100 million out of the
$400 million fund: $38 million for community health, $27 million
for rural hospitals, and other care entities take up the rest.
SENATOR MICCICHE explained that his question related to the
concern about increased costs and pointed out that Alaskans
enjoy much more benefit on a dollar value than what is paid in.
MR. CLARK stated that his assumption is that Alaskans enjoy a
considerable benefit from the program, far short of what is
being contributed to the program.
5:30:44 PM
SENATOR BEGICH commended Senator Micciche for his question that
underscored the state receiving 25 percent of the fund. He asked
Mr. Zasada to verify that the state receives 25 percent of the
fund.
MR. ZASADA answered correct.
SENATOR BEGICH agreed that the state really is benefitting from
the fund to a great degree.
CHAIR WILSON disclosed that during his time at Eastern Aleutian
Tribes he was able to see some of the tele-health technologies
and its capabilities. He said he could only imagine what some of
the health-care centers are doing now in some of the rural
entities to try to hopefully lower health-care costs.
5:32:09 PM
CHAIR WILSON opened public testimony on HJR 14.
5:32:24 PM
CHAIR WILSON closed public testimony on HJR 14.
5:32:39 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report HJR 14, version J, [30-
LS0422\J], from committee with individual recommendations and
attached zero-fiscal note.
5:32:49 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced that being no objection, HJR 14 moved
from the Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HJR14 Version J.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR 14 Sponsor Statement 3.7.2017.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR 14 Fiscal Note HJR014-1-1-032417-L&C-N.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR14 Additional Documentation--AK Health Center Utilization of FCC RHC Support Funds 3.13.17.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR14 Additional Documentation--Alaska Communications Graphic 3.8.2017.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR14 Additional Documentation--Universal Services Fact Sheet 3.17.2017.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR14 FCC Summary--Universal Service Rural Health Care Programs.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR14 Letters of Support.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR14 Additional Documentation--Universal Service Disbursements 2015 3.20.2017.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |
| HJR 14 Increasing the Rural Healthcare Fund White Paper--Alaska Communications 3.7.2017.pdf |
SHSS 4/14/2017 5:15:00 PM |
HJR 14 |