02/12/1998 03:03 PM House HES

          HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL                                   
             SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE                                       
                  February 12, 1998                                            
                      3:03 p.m.                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                             
                                                                               
PRESENTATION:  ALASKA INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL                               
                                                                               
TAPE 98-7, SIDE A                                                              
                                                                               
CALL TO ORDER                                                                  
                                                                               
Representative Con Bunde, Chairman, convened the House Health,                 
Education and Social Services Standing Committee meeting at                    
3:03 p.m.                                                                      
                                                                               
PRESENT                                                                        
                                                                               
Committee members present at the call to order were Representatives            
Bunde, Vezey and Dyson.  Representative Brice arrived as the                   
meeting was in progress.  Representatives Green, Porter and Kemplen            
were absent.                                                                   
                                                                               
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                         
                                                                               
JIM BURTON, gave a brief background description of the Alaska                  
Independent Living Council and introduced the individuals who would            
be addressing the committee.                                                   
                                                                               
DAWN PEDERSON gave a description of her medical condition and the              
problems she encountered with her medical insurance benefits.  She             
didn't realize that she couldn't be covered by two programs, i.e.,             
COBRA and Medicaid, so she lost her COBRA coverage.  She got a job             
at Taku Smokeries and subsequently lost her Medicaid and Medicare              
coverage because she was working.  She expressed frustration with              
having to choose between becoming permanently disabled and her job.            
                                                                               
JOHN WOODWARD testified he has a traumatic brain injury and is an              
advocate for other people with disabilities.  The state has an                 
opportunity to provide affordable health care to over 11,000                   
children and 800 pregnant women through House Bill 369, which is               
supported by the Alaska Independent Living Council.                            
                                                                               
JOYANNA GEISLER testified that last year over 1,000 Alaskans                   
received independent living services which cost, between state and             
federal funds, about $900,000; the state contribution was about                
$400,000.  An example of services provided is assisting people with            
a mobility impairment to build ramps into their home, getting the              
appropriate magnifier for individuals with a vision impairment, or             
arranging for an interpreter for a deaf individual.  One of the                
most difficult things that independent living providers do is to               
assist people wanting to move out of a nursing home.  The cost is              
not that great, but it is more than what the Alaska Independent                
Living Council has available.  She was requesting that $100,000 be             
earmarked specifically for individuals requesting to get out of                
nursing homes or individuals who are in danger of being placed in              
a nursing home.  The money would be used to help set up community              
support so these individuals could live safely in their community.             
                                                                               
RUTH HOMMEDIEU thanked the committee for their support of HCR 19               
which establishes the Council for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and                
Deafblind.  She urged the committee to support the Vocational                  
Rehabilitation budget so the demands and requests for client                   
services can be met.  She pointed out that the statewide                       
unemployment rate is 7.5 percent, but the unemployment rate for                
individuals with disabilities is 66 percent.  The main philosophy              
of the Alaska Independent Living Council is to live independently              
in your own community with community-based support.                            
                                                                               
JERIE BEST thanked committee members for passing House Bill 170.               
She enthusiastically shared that she had just received the draft               
copy of a Consumer Protection Act for people needing assistive                 
technology.  She has been working on this for four years.  She                 
explained the Consumer Protection Act will provide a warranty for              
individuals needing assistive technology to live a life as normal              
as possible.                                                                   
                                                                               
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
The committee took no action.                                                  
                                                                               
ADJOURNMENT                                                                    
                                                                               
The meeting recessed at 3:44 p.m.                                              
                                                                               
NOTE:  The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were                 
taken.  A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by                 
contacting the House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite                
211, Juneau, Alaska  99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after                     
adjournment of the second session of the Twentieth Alaska State                
Legislature, in the Legislative Reference Library.