Legislature(2001 - 2002)

03/21/2002 03:35 PM Senate STA

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
           SB 306-PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE TASK FORCE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BETTYE   DAVIS,  bill  sponsor,   stated  that  she  has  spent  a                                                     
lot  of time  reviewing   prescription   drug  issues.  She  is  currently                                                      
serving   on  the   Committee   on  Aging   for   the  Council   of  State                                                      
Governments   and  recently   attended   a  conference   on  prescription                                                       
drugs.  Representative    Joe  Hayes  is  the sponsor   of  the same  bill                                                      
on  the  House   side  and  asked   that  she  mirror   his  bill   in  the                                                     
Senate.  She  hopes  that  this legislation   will  help  to find  ways  to                                                     
aid senior citizens in the purchase of prescription drugs.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD   BENAVIDES,   aide  to  Senator   Davis,  explained   that  while                                                      
Congress   has  been  debating  proposals   to  add  a prescription   drug                                                      
benefit   to  Medicare,   many   states  are   taking  steps   to  protect                                                      
their  more  vulnerable   residents   from  rising  out  of  pocket  costs                                                      
and   declining     insurance    coverage    for   prescription     drugs.                                                      
According   to the  National   Conference  of  State  Legislatures,   over                                                      
40  states   have  considered   legislation   to  help   seniors  and   the                                                     
disabled   address   these   issues.   SB  306  only   involves   Alaska's                                                      
growing  senior  population.   American   Association  of  Retired  People                                                      
(AARP)  statistics   report  that  the annual  growth  rate  for  Medicaid                                                      
spending   on medications   in  Alaska  rose  23.4  percent  between  1996                                                      
and  1998.  They  also  reported   that  about   11,000  seniors   have  no                                                     
prescription drug coverage whatsoever.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Between   October    31,  1999   and   October   31,   2000,  over   5,500                                                      
Alaskans   aged  65  and   above  who  were   eligible   for  the  state's                                                      
Medicaid  program,   received  263,000  prescriptions    at a cost  to  the                                                     
state  of  over  $10  million.  SB  306  would  create  a method   to look                                                      
at  ways  to provide  meaningful   relief   to seniors  without   creating                                                      
large new expenditure programs.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
STEVE   ASHMAN,   Director    of  the   Division   of   Senior   Services,                                                      
testified     via     teleconference      that    the    Department      of                                                     
Administration    would  be  charged   with  putting   together  the  task                                                      
force  called   for  in  the  legislation.   Currently   they  don't  have                                                      
accurate    information    on  the   number   of   seniors   in   need   of                                                     
prescription    drug  relief   but  there   are  certainly   a  number   of                                                     
anecdotal   cases.  It is  a significant   problem  and  one of  the goals                                                      
of   the  legislation    is   to  investigate    the   options   that   are                                                     
available as well as other states' practices.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
He looks  forward   to working  with  the  sponsor  and  will help  in  any                                                     
way possible.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
GENE  DAU,  AARP  member   testified   in support   of  SB 306.  He  noted                                                      
AARP  Alaska   sent  a letter   in  support  as  well.  Washington   state                                                      
doctors  are  now able  to  fax prescriptions   directly   to pharmacists                                                       
in  Canada  who will  mail  the  medicine  to  you  in the  U.S.  He asked                                                      
why this wouldn't be possible in the state of Alaska.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT   commented   he didn't  know  that  you couldn't   do                                                     
that here.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DAVIS  stated  that  would  be an  option  the  task force  could                                                      
look into.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS   asked  if the  method  of  payment  was  a credit  card                                                      
or similar and not a credit against a U.S. based program.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. DAU replied payment was cash.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:50 p.m.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  FURUNESS,   National  Association   of  Retired  Federal   Employees                                                      
(NARFE),   testified  in  support  of  SB 306.  Prescription   drugs  need                                                      
to be made more affordable.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MARIE  DARLIN,  AARP  member,  testified   in support  of  SB 306.  She  is                                                     
the  coordinator  for  the  Capital  City  Task Force  and  although  they                                                      
are  following   many   bills  this   session,   this  is  of  particular                                                       
concern. The AARP letter of support is in the bill file.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT   asked  Ms.  Darlin  whether  she  had a comment   on                                                     
the makeup of the task force.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  DARLIN  said  she  was pleased   with the  composition   of  the task                                                      
force.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN    THERRIAULT   asked   whether    the   Department   of   Social                                                      
Services   had  any  concern  about   the makeup   of  the  proposed  task                                                      
force.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
NANCY   WILLER,   a  representative    from   the  Division    of  Medical                                                      
Assistance,    said  they   had  no  concerns   with   its  makeup.   They                                                      
understand   that  most   of  the  federal  proposals   that   are  in  the                                                     
President's   budget  use  Medicaid  as a  funding  source  for  providing                                                      
prescription   drug  coverage  to  additional  senior  populations.   They                                                      
would be available to provide assistance to the task force.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT   asked  Mr.  Benavides  about  the  meaning  on page                                                      
2, lines 4-6.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BENAVIDES   said  the wording   came  from  the  drafters  and  legal                                                      
terminology isn't always easy for the layperson to understand.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   DAVIS  explained   the   meaning  is  that   we  would  have   to                                                     
adopt   other   state's   strategies   to   fit  Alaska.   She   said   she                                                     
supports the statement but was receptive to more artful wording.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN   THERRIAULT    moved  conceptual    amendment   number   one   to                                                     
replace    page   2,  lines    4-6  with    something   similar    to   the                                                     
following:   "In  considering    the  adoption   of  a  strategy  to  help                                                      
senior   citizens   cope  with  the  cost   of prescription    drugs,   the                                                     
State   of  Alaska   should   review   what   has  been   done   in  other                                                      
states."                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS said she could support the change.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT   said  he would  work  with  Senator  Davis  and  the                                                     
drafters   rather  that  holding   the bill  and  presenting   a  proposed                                                      
CS at the next meeting.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There was no objection to the conceptual amendment.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
He asked Mr. Benavides to explain the fiscal note.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BENAVIDES   said  the second   page  of the  fiscal   note  explained                                                      
this  would  cover  the  cost  of  three  meetings   if travel,   lodging,                                                      
per  diem  and  telephonic   costs  were  incurred.   Mr. Ashman   was  the                                                     
author of the note and could answer specific questions.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN   THERRIAULT  said  he  didn't  have  any  particular   questions                                                      
and  the bill  had  a referral  to  the Finance   Committee  where  fiscal                                                      
questions would be addressed.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There were no further amendments.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He asked for the will of the committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  made  a  motion  to move  CSSB  306 (STA)  and  attached                                                      
fiscal note from committee with individual recommendations.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, CSSB 306 (STA) moved from committee.                                                                  

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