01/25/2008 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

             SB 212-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS  announced consideration of  SB 212 and asked  if the                                                               
administration had anything to add  regarding this bill. She then                                                               
opened the floor to testimony.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:34:16 PM                                                                                                                    
SARALYN  TABACHNICK, Executive  Director, Aiding  Women in  Abuse                                                               
and Rape  Emergencies, Inc.  (AWARE), felt that  SB 212  would be                                                               
very  helpful  to the  people  they  serve,  who are  victims  of                                                               
domestic violence and sexual assault.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:36:30 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS asked  to hear from anyone who had  concerns about or                                                               
opposed the bill. Those in favor  of the bill were asked to raise                                                               
their  hands  and were  noted  by  number.  She then  called  for                                                               
testimony from witnesses present by teleconference.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
STEVE   HORN,  Executive   Director,  Alaska   Behavioral  Health                                                               
Association and  member of the  Governor's Health  Care Strategic                                                               
Planning Council, testified  in support of SB  212 and encouraged                                                               
the legislature to move forward with the bill.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
KIM ADALIA-LEFF,  Interior Alaska Center for  Non-Violent Living,                                                               
Fairbanks,  testified in  support of  SB 212  as a  single parent                                                               
dependent upon access to Denali Kid Care.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
DR.  BOB  URATA, Family  Practice  Physician  and member  of  the                                                               
Governor's  Health  Care   Strategic  Planning  Council,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, urged  the legislature  to pass SB  212 because  it would                                                               
leverage federal  money to assist  the state in  providing health                                                               
care to the 15,000 or more uninsured children in the state.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ELLIE  FITZGERALD,  Director,   Division  of  Public  Assistance,                                                               
Health  and Social  Services, Juneau,  Alaska, offered  to answer                                                               
any questions regarding the fiscal notes or enrollment.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELTON asked  how many  Alaskans  would be  added to  the                                                               
program by  changing the  limit from  175 to  200 percent  of the                                                               
federal poverty level.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  FITZGERALD  responded  that the  department  estimated  1277                                                               
children would be  enrolled if the change were  made as reflected                                                               
in the fiscal note. She added  that when the level was changed to                                                               
175 percent,  843 more children  were enrolled. She did  not have                                                               
data  available on  the number  of  pregnant women  who would  be                                                               
enrolled if this change were made.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:44:46 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  THOMAS  moved  to  report SB  212  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, the motion carried.