Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
04/11/2014 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB346 | |
| SB129 | |
| SB159 | |
| SB145 | |
| SB58 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 346 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 138 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 129 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 159 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 145 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 58 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 159-AIR AMBULANCE SERVICES
3:57:49 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced that the next order of business would be
SENATE BILL NO. 159, "An Act relating to air ambulance service
providers, air ambulance membership agreements, and regulation
of air ambulance service providers and air ambulance membership
agreements by the division of insurance; and providing for an
effective date."
3:58:11 PM
CHRISTIE JAMIESON, Staff, Senator Bert Stedman, Alaska State
Legislature, explained that passage of SB 129 would allow all
life-saving air medical transport services to continue to offer
membership programs to Alaskan residents. The purpose of a
membership program is to cover all out-of-pocket expenses that
may not be covered by a primary payer. Following an
organizational restructure last year, in 2013, the Airlift
Northwest membership program was discontinued by the Alaska
Division of Insurance (DOI). The division deemed the membership
program was no longer exempt from insurance regulations.
Presently, the Airlift Northwest is allowed to honor existing
memberships but cannot allow renewals to the program. This bill
would exempt all air ambulance services from the state's
insurance code thereby allowing continued membership programs to
Alaskans. Over 3,000 Alaskan residents subscribe and benefit
from the membership program. The Division of Elections said
that it does not anticipate that SB 159 will result in any
financial impact to the division and it has a zero fiscal note.
3:59:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 28-
LS1359\N.1, Wallace, 3/20/14, which read as follows:
Page 2, following line 28:
Insert a new subsection to read:
"(c) Except as provided in this section, an air
ambulance service provider or an air ambulance
membership agreement that complies with this chapter
is not otherwise subject to this title."
There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.
3:59:56 PM
KONRAD JACKSON, Staff, Representative Kurt Olson, Alaska State
Legislature, stated that Amendment 1 was brought forward by some
who wanted it to be clear that an air ambulance provider is not
subject to Title 21.
4:01:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON understood that one main function of
the DOI is to ensure that insurance is appropriately
underwritten and that the resource will be there for the insured
when the time comes. He asked if any concern exists or if
people can be confident "the jet will come when it is called."
MS. JAMIESON expressed her confidence that the [air ambulance
service] will respond when called.
CHAIR OLSON recalled the Airlift Northwest has been in business
since the late 1970s or early 1980s, so it has established a
track record.
4:02:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON asked whether there are any other
"carve outs" like this that aren't subject to the insurance
code. He didn't think this was a bad idea but was curious.
MARTY HESTER, Director, Division of Insurance (DOI); Anchorage
Office, Department of Commerce, Community & Economic
Development, said different statutes deal with different lines
of insurance and have different regulations and stipulations on
those different lines of insurance. This would be a particular
"carve out" for the air ambulance industry. He did not think it
would be an "apples to apples" comparison for a different line
or type of insurance would have the same type of application.
4:03:44 PM
CHAIR OLSON, after first determining no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on SB 159.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER commented that the absence of questions
demonstrates that this bill was vetted in previous meetings. He
felt confident [about the bill.]
4:04:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON moved to report the CSSB 159, as amended,
out of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, the HCS
CSSB 159(L&C) was reported from the House Labor and Commerce
Standing Committee.