05/13/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                  SJR 15-OPPOSE MEDICAID CUTS                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:05:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
CS  FOR  SENATE JOINT  RESOLUTION  NO.  15(HSS), Calling  on  the                                                               
state's  congressional  delegation  to  oppose  cuts  to  federal                                                               
spending on Medicaid.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:05:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SETH  TAGARIAN,  Staff,  Senator  Forrest Dunbar,  on  behalf  of                                                               
Senator  Dunbar, prime  sponsor, gave  the sponsor  statement for                                                               
CSSJR  15(HSS) [in  the committee  file], which  read as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Senate   Joint   Resolution   15  calls   on   Alaska's                                                                    
     congressional  delegation  to oppose  proposed  federal                                                                    
     cuts to Medicaid.  More than 250,000 Alaskansincluding                                                                     
     children, seniors,  people with disabilities,  and low-                                                                    
     income  adultsrely   on  Medicaid  and  the  Children's                                                                    
     Health  Insurance Program  (CHIP) for  essential health                                                                    
     services.  These  cuts  would  be  devastating  to  our                                                                    
     families, communities, and economy.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Rural  and remote  communities  depend  on Medicaid  at                                                                    
     higher rates due to a  shortage of providers, expensive                                                                    
     travel,  and   limited  access   to  employer-sponsored                                                                    
     insurance. Medicaid  is also a cornerstone  of Alaska's                                                                    
     Tribal  health  system   and  supports  nearly  100,000                                                                    
     children  and  covers  almost   40  percent  of  births                                                                    
     annually.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Federal  Medicaid  funding   represents  more  than  $2                                                                    
     billion each year, 78 percent  of the program's cost in                                                                    
     our state. Slashing this funding  would force Alaska to                                                                    
     consider drastic  reductions in coverage,  benefits, or                                                                    
     provider  payments, putting  lives  and livelihoods  at                                                                    
     risk.  Beyond  direct  health  care  impacts,  Medicaid                                                                    
     sustains  a  vital  segment  of  Alaska's  economy.  It                                                                    
     supports  high-quality  union jobs,  strengthens  small                                                                    
     businesses  by   providing  health  care   coverage  to                                                                    
     workers, and ensures that  seniors and individuals with                                                                    
     disabilities can remain in  their homes and communities                                                                    
     with dignity.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Proposed  federal  cutsnearly   $880  billion  over  10                                                                    
     yearswould  endanger  these benefits. SJR 15  urges our                                                                    
     congressional  delegation  to  protect the  health  and                                                                    
     economic security of Alaskans by rejecting these cuts.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:07:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 4:07 p.m. to 4:08 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:08:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA opened public testimony on CSSJR 15(HSS).  After                                                                     
ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, she                                                                   
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:08:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MINA noted  there had  been  a meeting  regarding cuts  to                                                               
Medicaid  and  stated  it  was   clear  that  many  Alaskans  are                                                               
benefactors to Medicaid.  She  thanked Senator Dunbar for putting                                                               
forward this resolution.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:09:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MEARS  moved  to  report  CSSJR  15(HSS)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSSJR  15(HSS)  was                                                               
reported out  of the  House Health  and Social  Services Standing                                                               
Committee.