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

                   SJR 15-OPPOSE MEDICAID CUTS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:04:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR   announced  the   consideration  of   SENATE  JOINT                                                              
RESOLUTION   NO.  15   Calling   on  the   state's   congressional                                                              
delegation to oppose cuts to federal spending on Medicaid.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:05:37 PM                                                                                                                    
ARIELLE  WIGGIN,  Staff,  Senator  Forrest  Dunbar,  Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature,  provided a  brief overview  of SJR  15 on behalf  of                                                              
the  Senate Health  and Social  Services  Standing Committee.  She                                                              
stated  that  SJR  15  opposes  proposed  federal  Medicaid  cuts,                                                              
noting  that over  250,000  Alaskans rely  on  Medicaid. She  said                                                              
Medicaid funds  more than 40 percent  of births in the  state, and                                                              
that such cuts would have severe economic and social impacts.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:07:03 PM                                                                                                                    
ANGELA KIMBALL,  Chief Advocacy Officer, Inseparable,  Alexandria,                                                              
Virginia, testified  by invitation  on SJR  15. She said  congress                                                              
is  considering  a  Budget  Reconciliation   Act  that  would  cut                                                              
Medicaid, which  would severely impact Alaska's mental  health and                                                              
substance abuse  services. Medicaid  currently covers over  one in                                                              
three children, supports  foster care, and brings  $1.8 billion in                                                              
federal  funding  annually  for  health  and  community  services;                                                              
reductions would  strain providers, weaken services,  and harm the                                                              
state's  economy  and  communities.  She urged  the  committee  to                                                              
support SJR 15.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:09:20 PM                                                                                                                    
THEA  AGNEW BEMBEN,  Special  Assistant,  Mayor Suzanne  LaFrance,                                                              
Anchorage, Alaska,  testified by invitation on SJR  15. She stated                                                              
that Mayor  LaFrance's vision  is to create  a safe,  healthy, and                                                              
welcoming Anchorage  where families want  to stay and  others want                                                              
to move, helping  address workforce challenges and  strengthen the                                                              
local  economy. She  listed all  that is  directly and  indirectly                                                              
supported by  Medicaid. She said  the City of Anchorage  generates                                                              
about  14.4 million  in  Medicaid  receipts to  support  ambulance                                                              
services at  the fire departments.  She said Medicaid  is critical                                                              
to  this  effort, supporting  major  healthcare  employers,  small                                                              
businesses,  early  childhood investments,  municipal  health  and                                                              
safety   programs,  first   responders,  and   the  expansion   of                                                              
behavioral  health crisis  services essential  to community  well-                                                              
being.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:13:20 PM                                                                                                                    
EDNA  BEEBE,   representing  self,   Eek,  Alaska,   testified  by                                                              
invitation on  SJR 15. She gave  an example of having  to care for                                                              
her mom  in a  village that  doesn't have  a road  system and  the                                                              
struggles  to get to  doctor appointments.  She expressed  concern                                                              
regarding the  challenges she  will face if  Medicaid is  cut. She                                                              
asked  the  committee to  do  whatever  it  takes to  protect  her                                                              
elders by protecting Medicaid.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:16:26 PM                                                                                                                    
LANCE JOHNSON,  Chief Operating  Officer (COO), Alaska  Behavioral                                                              
Health  Association, Talkeetna,  Alaska,  testified by  invitation                                                              
on SJR  15. He argued  that proposed  federal Medicaid  cuts would                                                              
be catastrophic  for Alaska, where  nearly 280,000  residents rely                                                              
on the  program, almost half  of them children.  Medicaid supports                                                              
infant  and  maternal health,  early  intervention,  physical  and                                                              
behavioral   health   care,   foster  care   and   OCS   services,                                                              
corrections,  homelessness response,  and  long-term care  through                                                              
home-  and  community-based  services.   He  said  Medicaid  is  a                                                              
primary funding  source for  major hospitals  and clinics  and the                                                              
largest payer of behavioral health services.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:21:53 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. JOHNSON  stated that  significant cuts  would force  providers                                                              
to close, increase  emergency room use, homelessness,  recidivism,                                                              
and untreated  mental illness, reduce  the health  care workforce,                                                              
and seriously damage Alaska's economy and health care system.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:22:32 PM                                                                                                                    
CARMEN  WENGER,   Director  of  Programs,  All   Alaska  Pediatric                                                              
Partnership,  Anchorage, Alaska,  testified by  invitation on  SJR
.  She  stated  that  A2P2  has  worked  for  three  decades  to                                                              
strengthen Alaska's  health care  system through initiatives  such                                                              
as pediatric subspecialty  care, school-based health  clinics, and                                                              
Help Me Grow Alaska,  many of which rely on Medicaid  funding. She                                                              
said  Medicaid supports  Alaska's ability  to develop  innovative,                                                              
child-focused  health  solutions  and  plays a  critical  role  in                                                              
whether  families can  access and  remain  connected to  services.                                                              
She  said that  disruptions to  Medicaid, even  short term,  would                                                              
negatively  alter children's  long-term health  and mental  health                                                              
outcomes,  weaken  the  state's health  care  infrastructure,  and                                                              
limit Alaska's  ability to build  a strong, sustainable  workforce                                                              
for the future.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:25:16 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR TOBIN referenced  SJR 15, page 2, lines  12-14, and stated                                                              
that Medicaid  coverage for  eligible Alaska  native and  American                                                              
Indian beneficiaries  is funded  at a  100 percent federal  match.                                                              
She asked whether  the impacts of proposed Medicaid  cuts on those                                                              
individuals and services are clearly articulated and addressed.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNBAR  replied that  36 percent  of Medicaid enrollees  are                                                              
Alaska Native.  He said those beneficiaries  are covered at  a 100                                                              
percent  federal match  with  no state  cost,  making the  program                                                              
particularly beneficial  to Alaska, and  noted that this  could be                                                              
highlighted in the language.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:26:29 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HUGHES   said  a  testifier  mentioned   a  $880  billion                                                              
restructuring reduction  while SJR 15,  line 29, says  a reduction                                                              
of $2 trillion over 10 years.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:27:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR said  he  will verify  whether  the  figure is  $880                                                              
billion  or $2  trillion, as  the difference  may reflect  varying                                                              
timeframes.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:27:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR held SJR 15 in committee.