Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
02/23/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB37 | |
| HB192 | |
| SB45 | |
| HB314 | |
| SB45 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 318 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 314 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 175 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 203 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 37 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 192 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 45 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 45-DIRECT HEALTH AGREEMENT: NOT INSURANCE
4:39:30 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 45(L&C), "An Act relating to
insurance; relating to direct health care agreements; relating
to the duties of the director of the division of insurance in
the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development;
and providing for an effective date."
4:40:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to adopt the proposed House
committee substitute (HCS) for CSSB 45, Version 33-LS0211\P,
Wallace, 2/20/24, as the working document.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected.
4:40:30 PM
JASMINE MARTIN, Staff, Senator David Wilson, Alaska State
Legislature, provided an explanation of changes in the proposed
HCS for CSSB 45(L&C), ("Version P") [included in the committee
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Changes from first V.Y to V. P:
1)Section 2 and 3: Page 5, lines 24 through page 6,
line 31: These agreements are contracts. This CS moves
regulation of these contracts to the unfair trades
practices acts and made conforming language changes to
this effect.
2)Throughout: added requirement for providers to
disclose that these agreements are not insurance and
are not regulated as such.
3)Removed requirement that providers maintain a
certain ratio of patients who are uninsured or
Medicaid receipts in their practice.
4)Expanded the providers eligible to enter these
agreements from primary care providers to any licensed
provider.
4:42:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked Ms. Martin to elaborate on change
4, which would open eligibility to any licensed provider. She
asked whether it would come with any limitations or
restrictions. More specifically, she asked whether this
expanded eligibility would allow an individual to create a
direct healthcare agreement with an orthopedic surgeon in
anticipation of several procedures.
MS. MARTIN answered yes; however, the direct healthcare
agreement would be complicated.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked whether the bill sponsor envisioned
the expanded eligibility encompassing any particular provider
beyond primary care providers.
MS. MARTIN said the direct healthcare agreement would be
appropriate for continuing predictable healthcare, such as
physical therapists, midwives, and nutritionists.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK maintained her objection. She expressed
concern about expanding the direct healthcare agreement to all
providers.
4:45:42 PM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Prax, Ruffridge,
Saddler, Wright, and Sumner voted in favor of adopting Version P
as the working document. Representative Carrick voted against
it. Therefore, Version P was adopted by a vote of 5-1.
4:46:22 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 4:46 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
4:50:34 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that Version P would be held over.
SB 45-DIRECT HEALTH AGREEMENT: NOT INSURANCE
5:06:50 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the final order of business would be
a return to HCS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 45(L&C), "An Act
relating to insurance; relating to direct health care
agreements; relating to the duties of the director of the
division of insurance in the Department of Commerce, Community,
and Economic Development; and providing for an effective date."
[Before the committee was Version P.]
5:07:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1
to Version P to delete the phrase "is entirely owned by" and
insert "employs" on page 5, lines 6-7.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER objected for purposes of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE opined that defining a health care
business as one that employs licensed health care providers, as
opposed to entirely owned by health care providers, would be
favorable because it's less proscriptive in the ability to
engage in a direct health care contract.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER removed his objection. There being no
further objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.
5:09:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report HCS CSSB 45, Version
33-LS0211\P, Wallace, 2/20/24, as amended, out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HCS CSSB 45(2d L&C) was reported from
the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.