04/24/2025 03:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

              SB  45-MEDICAID MENTAL HEALTH PARITY                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:24:38 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   DUNBAR  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration of SENATE  BILL NO. 45 "An Act  relating to medical                                                               
assistance  services; relating  to  parity in  mental health  and                                                               
substance use  disorder coverage in the  state medical assistance                                                               
program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:24:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR solicited a motion.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:25:01 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to adopt  the committee substitute (CS) for                                                               
SB 45, work order 34-LS0146\I, as the working document.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:25:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:25:21 PM                                                                                                                    
ARIELLE  WIGGIN,  Staff,  Senator Forrest  Dunbar,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, offered a  summary of changes for SB
, version A to I.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1 Page 1 Lines 5-11                                                                                            
     Inserts a new section  in uncodified law that describes                                                                    
     the  legislative intent  of this  bill, independent  of                                                                    
     related federal policy.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2-3                                                                                                            
     Renumbers  references to  previous sections,  otherwise                                                                    
     unchanged from Version A                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 4                                                                                                              
     Page  3  Line  21 changes  reporting  requirement  from                                                                  
     every year to every four years.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3  Line 25  adds a  new paragraph  instructing the                                                                  
     department  create   an  action  plan   for  addressing                                                                    
     noncompliance  with federal  mental  health parity  law                                                                    
     and new statute AS 47.07.033.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page  3 Line  30  Instructs the  department to  include                                                                  
     noncompliance  complaints  received   in  the  past  12                                                                    
     months   in  a   progress  report   submitted  to   the                                                                    
     Legislature every year they do not submit a report.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Section 5-8                                                                                                            
     Previous   Sections   5-7;  Renumbers   references   to                                                                    
     previous sections, otherwise unchanged from Version A                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:26:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HUGHES noted  that  she  didn't have  version  I in  her                                                               
packet.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:27:16 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GIESSEL expressed  concern that  the summary  of changes                                                               
doesn't match the new bill. She  said she doesn't see how page 3,                                                               
line  30,  "instructs  the department  to  include  noncompliance                                                               
complaints received in the past 12 months in a report."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:27:38 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. WIGGIN  stated that page 4,  line 30, matches the  summary of                                                               
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:27:55 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  WIGGIN noted  that the  legal services  department has  been                                                               
working hard on  the changes. She stated that there  will be more                                                               
changes after the stakeholders review the updates.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:28:13 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR stated  that  the Department  of  Health found  the                                                               
proposal overly  burdensome and costly,  so the  department asked                                                               
to  work with  the  behavioral health  association  on a  revised                                                               
version. He  said while  advocates are  not fully  satisfied, the                                                               
goal   is   to  reach   a   workable   compromise  that   reduces                                                               
administrative burdens on behavioral health providers.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:28:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HUGHES noted  that the  bill's  intent language  directs                                                               
parity  not only  for  the  state Medicaid  program  but for  all                                                               
health  insurance  plans. She  asked  whether  private plans  and                                                               
other state plans are currently providing mental health parity.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:29:37 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. WIGGIN  replied that  the language  is uncodified  intent and                                                               
does not  have the force of  law but states the  bill's goal. She                                                               
noted  that  Alaska is  exempt  from  the federal  Mental  Health                                                               
Parity Act due to its  fee-for-service system. She suggested that                                                               
the Department of Health respond for clarification.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:30:12 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES acknowledged  the language in SB  45 is nonbinding                                                               
but  notes that  it  directs Medicaid  to  improve mental  health                                                               
parity.  She asked  about  the current  status  of mental  health                                                               
parity  in private  insurance plans  and whether  the sponsor  is                                                               
aware of how those plans compare.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:30:48 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  WIGGIN replied  that their  focus has  been on  Medicaid and                                                               
that private  insurance plans  in the state  are not  required to                                                               
provide  mental health  parity.  She offered  to conduct  further                                                               
research and provide a written response.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:31:38 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR   removed  his  objection.  He   found  no  further                                                               
objection and CSSB 45 was adopted as the working document.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:32:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR held SB 45 in committee.