Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

04/19/2023 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 45 DIRECT HEALTH AGREEMENT: NOT INSURANCE TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 45(L&C) Out of Committee
+= SB 85 PERM FUND; EMPLOYMENT; ELIGIBILITY TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 85(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= SB 126 ARCHITECT/ENGINEER REGISTRATION BOARD TELECONFERENCED
Moved SB 126 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
          SB 45-DIRECT HEALTH AGREEMENT: NOT INSURANCE                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:36:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL NO. 45                                                               
"An Act  relating to  insurance; relating  to direct  health care                                                               
agreements; and relating to unfair trade practices."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
He  stated that  this  is  the third  hearing  of  this bill  and                                                               
Jasmine Martin would give a recap.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:36:36 PM                                                                                                                    
JASMINE  MARTIN,  Staff,  Senator   David  Wilson,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, gave a  recap of SB 45.  She stated                                                               
that  this  bill  would  allow  healthcare  providers  and  their                                                               
patients to  enter into direct healthcare  agreements and clarify                                                               
that these do not lie within the state insurance bounds.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   solicited  a  motion  to   adopt  the  proposed                                                               
committee substitute for SB 45.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:37:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON moved  to  adopt  the committee  substitute                                                               
(CS) for SB 45, work order 33-LS0211\R, as the working document.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:37:47 PM                                                                                                                    
KONRAD  JACKSON,  Staff,  Senator Jesse  Bjorkman,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented  an explanation of changes                                                               
from version U  to version R of  SB 45. He stated  that the first                                                               
change is  in the title, relating  to the duties of  the director                                                               
of  the Division  of  Insurance in  the  Department of  Commerce,                                                               
Community and  Economic Development (DCCED). An  addition on line                                                               
4  provides for  an  effective date.  Another addition  regarding                                                               
healthcare services provided under  a direct healthcare agreement                                                               
reads  as, "care  provided by  a  primary care  provider to  that                                                               
patient",  along  with  additional  language  in  the  bill  that                                                               
specifies the definition relating  to the primary care physician.                                                               
The next  change on  page 4,  is the deletion  of a  section from                                                               
line 19 to  line 22, removing the portion of  the bill that would                                                               
exempt  this  by regulation  of  the  Division of  Insurance.  An                                                               
insertion puts this  clearly under the direction  of the Division                                                               
of Insurance  and includes language that  provides for penalties.                                                               
Language has  been added that requires  physicians licensed under                                                               
AS  08.64  who  established  residency  in  the  state.  Language                                                               
defining a primary care provider  has been added to paragraph 10.                                                               
On the  last page there  are three  new sections. One  section is                                                               
transition  language to  allow the  director of  the Division  of                                                               
Insurance to  begin drafting regulations. The  remaining sections                                                               
are effective date clauses.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   removed  his  objection.  Finding   no  further                                                               
objections, CSSB 45,  work order 33-LS0211\R, was  adopted as the                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN  said the committee received  three amendments for                                                               
consideration.  The  amendments  were  drafted  to  the  previous                                                               
version U  of the bill, CSSB  45(HSS), rather than CSSB  45, work                                                               
order 33-LS0211/R. The committee  will consider the amendments as                                                               
conceptual   amendments,  and   grants   Legislative  Legal   the                                                               
authority  to  make  conforming  changes  to  the  bill  for  any                                                               
conceptual amendment the committee adopts.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:42:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR moved  to conceptually  adopt  Amendment 1,  work                                                               
order 33-LS0211\U.1, for SB 45.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
                                                 33-LS0211\U.1                                                                  
                                                         Marx                                                                   
                                                      3/28/23                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                          AMENDMENT 1                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
    OFFERED IN THE SENATE                 BY SENATOR DUNBAR                                                                     
          TO:  CSSB 45(HSS)                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 29:                                                                                                           
          Delete "or (g)"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DUNBAR explained  that  Amendment  1 deletes  subsection                                                               
(g).                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:43:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN  removed  his  objection;  he  found  no  further                                                               
objection and Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:44:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR did not offer Amendment 2.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DUNBAR moved to conceptually adopt Amendment 3, work                                                                  
order 33-LS0211\U.6, for CSSB 45.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                 33-LS0211\U.6                                                                  
                                                      Wallace                                                                   
                                                       4/6/23                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                          AMENDMENT 3                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
    OFFERED IN THE SENATE                 BY SENATOR DUNBAR                                                                     
          TO:  CSSB 45(HSS)                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 24:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                      
               "(c)  The amount of the periodic fee may not                                                                     
          be based solely on the patient's health status or                                                                     
          sex."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Reletter the following subsections accordingly.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 29:                                                                                                           
          Delete "(c) or (g)"                                                                                                   
          Insert "(d) or (h)"                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 31:                                                                                                           
          Delete "(f) or (g)"                                                                                                   
          Insert "(g) or (h)"                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 24:                                                                                                           
          Delete "AS 21.03.025(n)"                                                                                              
          Insert "AS 21.03.025(o)"                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 25:                                                                                                           
          Delete "AS 21.03.025(n)"                                                                                              
          Insert "AS 21.03.025(o)"                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 27:                                                                                                           
          Delete "AS 21.03.025(n)"                                                                                              
          Insert "AS 21.03.025(o)"                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DUNBAR   explained  that  Amendment  3   inserts  a  new                                                               
subsection that reads "The amount of  the periodic fee may not be                                                               
based  solely  on  the  patient's health  status  or  sex."  This                                                               
subsection is intended to prevent  gender discrimination in fees.                                                               
The remaining amendment contains conforming changes.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:45:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:45:07 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON  sought   clarification  that  Amendment  3                                                               
pertains to health status as well as sex.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DUNBAR answered yes. He  clarified that the page and line                                                               
numbers  in Amendment  3 do  not match  version \R  of the  bill,                                                               
noting  that Legislative  Legal will  make conforming  changes in                                                               
the final version of the bill.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:46:03 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN  removed  his  objection;  he  found  no  further                                                               
objection and Amendment 3 was adopted.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN sought the will of the committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:46:30 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON moved  to report  CSSB 45,  work order  33-                                                               
LS0211\R,   as   amended,    from   committee   with   individual                                                               
recommendations and  attached fiscal  note(s). She  further moved                                                               
that the committee grant Legislative  Legal authorization to make                                                               
conforming changes.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:46:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN found  no objection and CSSB  45(L&C) was reported                                                               
from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 85 Draft Proposed Amendment A.1.pdf SL&C 4/19/2023 1:30:00 PM
SB 85
SB 126 Fiscal Note-DCCED-CBPL-04.15.23.pdf SL&C 4/19/2023 1:30:00 PM
SB 126
SB 45 Draft Proposed Amendment U.6.pdf SL&C 4/19/2023 1:30:00 PM
SB 45
SB 45 Draft Proposed Amendment U.5.pdf SL&C 4/19/2023 1:30:00 PM
SB 45
SB 45 Draft Proposed Amendment U.1.pdf SL&C 4/19/2023 1:30:00 PM
SB 45
SB 45 Draft Proposed CS ver R.pdf SL&C 4/19/2023 1:30:00 PM
SB 45