Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/08/2015 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB74 | |
| SB53 | |
| SB90 | |
| HB4 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 53 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 90 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 74 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 74-MEDICAID REFORM/PFD/HSAS/ER USE/STUDIES
1:31:12 PM
CHAIR STEDMAN announced the consideration of SB 74. He noted
that his staff, the sponsor's staff, and the Departments of Law
and Health and Social Services have been working hard on the new
CS for SB 74.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY moved to adopt the CS for SB 74, labeled
29-LS0692\I, as the working document.
CHAIR STEDMAN objected for discussion.
RANDY RUARO, Staff, Senator Bert Stedman, Alaska State
Legislature, addressed the changes in version I of SB 74. He
read from the following:
The committee substitute for SB 74, version I, makes the
following substantive changes:
· Deletes Sections 1 and 3 of SB 74 related to health savings
accounts and funding the accounts with 10% of a recipients
permanent fund dividend.
· As a conforming change, deletes language in Section 4 of SB
74 that would have put a sunset date on the health savings
account provisions.
· Adds a new Section 1 related to false claims for medical
assistance and providing for a civil penalty to be imposed
by either a court or an administrative agency and providing
for enhanced damages to be awarded to the state.
· Amends Section 2 of SB 74 to make a conforming change by
deleting subparagraph (1) which related to health savings
accounts and renumbering the remaining subparagraphs.
· Amends Section 2, subparagraph (2) of SB 74 by adding
language requiring the DHSS reform program to include
referrals for career and education services.
· Amends Section 2, subparagraph (4) of SB 74 by adding
"behavioral health" to the list of services that
telemedicine should be expanded to include.
· Amends Section 2, subparagraph (9) of SB 74 by adding
language providing that the payment process should be
reformed by implementing fee agreements based on
performance measures that include premium payments for
centers of excellence and penalties for certain hospital
related outcomes, such as hospital acquired infections,
readmissions, and failures of outcomes.
· Amends Section 2, of SB 74 by adding a new section (b) that
requires the identify areas where access to telemedicine
would be most effective and to coordinate with Indian
Health Services providers where appropriate to gain access
to telemedicine equipment.
· Amends Section 2(b) of SB 74, the report section on reforms
by changing the annual report due date from 10 days after
session starts to October 15 of each year, and adds a
number of subparagraphs in (4) - (13) that are designed to
provide information to the legislature on the progress of
reforms and other information relevant to management of the
program.
· Amends Section 2 of SB 74 by adding a new section (d) that
is a definition of telemedicine.
· Section 3 of version I relates to direction to the
department on reducing use of emergency room services.
This was Section 6 in the original version of SB 74. There
was no change between the two sections other than
numbering.
· Section 4, the repeal section of SB 74 is deleted. It
repealed the health savings account sections and the reform
sections. While reform provisions are included in version
I, they are not subject to sunset.
· It is replaced with a new Section 4 relating to efforts at
fighting fraud or waste of Medicaid funds and reporting the
results to the Legislature.
· Section 5 of SB 75, the section on managed care and a
demonstration project using persons enrolled in Denali
KidCare has been amended to be broader in scope in terms of
both the types of actions the Commissioner can take and the
population groups in Medicaid that can be included. This
provides flexibility to the department to obtain the
greatest possible coverage and savings.
· The rest of the sections in the CS are not substantively
different than SB 74 or are related to implementation of
the bill, Section 7 (Medicaid Choice Waiver); Section 8
(Transition Regulations); Section 9 (Conditional Effect),
and Sections 6, 7, 8 have an immediate effective date.
1:38:43 PM
CHAIR STEDMAN withdrew his objection. There being no further
objections, version I was adopted.
SENATOR GIESSEL requested clarification of Section 2 on
telemedicine and the cooperation with Indian Health Service
(IHS) providers. She understood that IHS has been using
telemedicine for several years. She asked if the bill suggests
providing private sector access to the IHS structure and if non-
beneficiaries would be charged for the service.
MR. RUARO explained that the intent is more general than that.
The IHS facilities have been building up telemedicine capacity
over the years, whereas the state doesn't have it in some areas.
The idea in Section 2 is to urge the department to work with IHS
and take advantage of opportunities of sharing equipment and
working together.
1:40:41 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL summarized that it is more of a philosophical
statement of working together, rather than a contract.
MR. RUARO said that is correct; they anticipate that the
department and IHS will work together.
SENATOR GIESSEL thought that was realistic. She appreciated not
duplicating services and costs.
1:41:57 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL asked about new subsection (d) which includes a
definition of telemedicine. She asked about other definitions of
telemedicine in statute.
MR. RUARO did not know of any other definitions of telemedicine.
SENATOR GIESSEL said there are other definitions and she offered
to compare them so they coincide.
CHAIR STEDMAN held SB 74 in committee.