03/27/2025 03:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                  SJR 15-OPPOSE MEDICAID CUTS                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:24:36 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.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:24:44 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR stated he had  hoped to adopt a committee substitute                                                               
for  SJR 15,  but  didn't receive  a draft  in  time for  today's                                                               
meeting.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:24:54 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR  stated  that  he  has  conceptual  amendments  for                                                               
discussion but  does not plan  to introduce them  now, preferring                                                               
to  include them  in a  committee  substitute (CS).  He hoped  to                                                               
discuss and  answer questions before  being absent  next Tuesday,                                                               
so the CS can be smoothly adopted in his absence.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:25:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR invited Senator Tobin to speak to Amendment 1.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:25:48 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR TOBIN spoke  to her Amendment 1, noting  that the medical                                                               
needs  and  care  of  some Alaskans  are  100  percent  federally                                                               
reimbursed. She  opined that  if there  were changes  to Medicaid                                                               
they may not  have access to preventive or acute  services at any                                                               
time.  She  said  Amendment  1  highlights  the  full  impact  to                                                               
Alaskans if changes to Medicaid through SJR 15 were fulfilled.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:26:48 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR speaking to Amendment 2:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Goes to  a comment that  Senator Hughes made  about 880                                                                    
     billion versus  2 trillion. There  are some  folks that                                                                    
     think that  there are ways  to measure, it in  which it                                                                    
     is 2 trillion,  but I went with your  number of Senator                                                                    
     Hughes. I  think 880  billion has  become sort  of what                                                                    
     people are talking about and  understand it to be. That                                                                    
     is the amount  that they expect to have  to find within                                                                    
     the budget  reconciliation process. I also  deleted "to                                                                    
     fund tax breaks for the  wealthy." I do think that that                                                                    
     is  a factual  statement, but  I don't  want us  to get                                                                    
     into  the controversies  around tax  policy. Ultimately                                                                    
     this is  about Medicaid and its  importance to Alaska's                                                                    
     economy  and to  our  health. So,  I  am deleting  that                                                                    
     verbiage out of there.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:27:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES noted that a  testifier mentioned the $880 billion                                                               
figure  applies over  ten years,  and she  asked if  it would  be                                                               
appropriate to include that timeframe in the amendment.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:27:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR  replied that  he would talk  offline and  talk with                                                               
legislative legal to get the CS in on time.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:28:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES stressed the importance  of avoiding Medicaid cuts                                                               
for  vulnerable populations  while  considering restructuring  to                                                               
encourage able-bodied,  working-age adults  to move  to employer-                                                               
based  insurance, highlighting  that nearly  a third  of Alaskans                                                               
are on  Medicaid, which  poses a  significant budget  burden. She                                                               
asked if  the committee  is interested in  saying no  to Medicaid                                                               
cuts.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:30:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR TOBIN noted  that while about 30 percent  of Alaskans are                                                               
on  Medicaid, roughly  5  percent are  Alaska  Native with  fully                                                               
federally  funded  coverage,  and  815   percent  of  able-bodied                                                               
adults,  some  with  disabilities,   also  access  Medicaid.  She                                                               
acknowledged  the  complexity  of   these  distinctions  and  the                                                               
difficulty  of fully  capturing them  in a  resolution, providing                                                               
context rather than opposition.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:31:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GIESSEL  referenced  the annual  Mesa  Medicaid  report,                                                               
noting a gap between those  eligible and those actually accessing                                                               
services. She asked what portion  of these are able-bodied adults                                                               
who might work but avoid  raises to maintain Medicaid coverage in                                                               
case of job-related injuries.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:32:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR acknowledged  concerns  about able-bodied  Medicaid                                                               
recipients  and work  requirements, noting  that such  issues are                                                               
complex and  not fully captured  in the resolution.  He supported                                                               
moving  forward  with  the  current  version,  anticipating  that                                                               
amendments addressing these concerns  could be debated later, but                                                               
he does not plan to introduce one.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:33:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR held SJR 15 in committee.