03/25/2025 03:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

          SCR  2-SUPPORT CRISIS CARE & MEDICAID REFORM                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:27:23 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR announced  the  consideration  of SENATE  CONCURRENT                                                              
RESOLUTION  NO.  2 Supporting  an  all-payer crisis  continuum  of                                                              
care and  Medicaid reform; and urging  the Governor to  direct the                                                              
Department  of Health  and the  division of  insurance to  develop                                                              
recommendations for an all-payer model for crisis care.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:28:19 PM                                                                                                                    
ANGELA KIMBALL,  Chief Advocacy Officer, Inseparable,  Alexandria,                                                              
Virginia, testified  by invitation on  SCR 2. She stated  that the                                                              
legislation requests  that the governor  direct the  Department of                                                              
Health  and  the   Division  of  Insurance  to   collaborate  with                                                              
legislators,  stakeholders,  and  public  and  private  payers  to                                                              
develop  recommendations  for  a  peer-model  approach  to  mental                                                              
health  emergency   services.  This   approach  would   streamline                                                              
billing,  reduce inefficiencies,  and  support flexible  solutions                                                              
for  Alaska  communities.  Currently,   most  emergency  services,                                                              
whether covered  by commercial  insurance, Medicare,  or Medicaid,                                                              
are supported  by all payers,  making these services  sustainable.                                                              
SCR  2   aims  to   extend  the  same   model  to  mental   health                                                              
emergencies.  Over the  years, Alaska  has  built a  comprehensive                                                              
continuum  of  mental health  crisis  services,  including  crisis                                                              
call  lines, mobile  crisis  teams, 23-hour  crisis  stabilization                                                              
centers,  and   short-term  crisis   residential  centers.   These                                                              
services  save  lives,  help  individuals   begin  recovery,  keep                                                              
communities  safer,  and  reduce expensive  demands  on  emergency                                                              
departments  and hospitals.  SCR 2  provides a  practical path  to                                                              
sustain  and  strengthen  this  continuum,  and  support  for  the                                                              
resolution is encouraged.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:31:09 PM                                                                                                                    
LANCE JOHNSON,  Chief Operating  Officer (COO), Alaska  Behavioral                                                              
Health  Association, Talkeetna,  Alaska,  testified by  invitation                                                              
on SCR 2. He  clarified numbers for SJR 15. He  stated that Alaska                                                              
has  made progress  in  developing  a  crisis continuum  of  care,                                                              
including   mobile  crisis   teams   and  multi-partner   response                                                              
systems,  which are  effective in  keeping  people safe.  However,                                                              
Medicaid  reimbursement  rates are  low,  with  only a  9  percent                                                              
increase  over  two  years,  making   these  services  financially                                                              
unsustainable.  He said  insurance  companies,  which must  comply                                                              
with federal parity  under the Mental Health Parity  and Addiction                                                              
Equity  Act,  are  not  consistently  covering  behavioral  health                                                              
crisis  services,  including  transportation   for  mental  health                                                              
emergencies,  while medical  emergencies are  covered. He  said to                                                              
sustain  Alaska's crisis  care  system, insurance  companies  must                                                              
share  costs  and  be held  accountable  for  adhering  to  parity                                                              
rules.  Passing SCR  2  is a  start,  but further  legislation  is                                                              
needed  to align  insurance coverage  with  federal standards  and                                                              
ensure continued access to crisis and substance use services.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:36:25 PM                                                                                                                    
TAMAR  BEN-YOSEF,   Executive  Director,   All  Alaska   Pediatric                                                              
Partnership,  Anchorage, Alaska,  testified by  invitation on  SCR
.  She  noted  that  Alaska has  made  progress  under  the  1115                                                              
Medicaid  waiver,  including  support  for  mobile  crisis  teams.                                                              
However, low  reimbursement rates  create gaps  in access  and are                                                              
unsustainable  for providers.  She  said children,  especially  in                                                              
foster care,  often remain  in adult  behavioral health  wards due                                                              
to a lack  of crisis care options. While  Alaska's fee-for-service                                                              
Medicaid  is exempt  from federal  parity rules,  the state  could                                                              
add parity  protections. Passing  this resolution is  critical, as                                                              
the  private sector  alone  cannot fill  these  gaps and  adequate                                                              
Medicaid  support is essential  to achieve  the governor's  vision                                                              
of a safe, affordable, and family-friendly Alaska.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:38:57 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:39:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR reconvened the meeting  and held SCR 2 in committee.