Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124

03/03/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 29 INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 57 EMERGENCY MED. SVCS: REVIEW ORGANIZATIONS TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 57 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 63 REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
          HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                         
                         March 3, 2023                                                                                          
                           3:15 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Jesse Sumner, Chair                                                                                              
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Vice Chair                                                                                     
Representative Mike Prax                                                                                                        
Representative Dan Saddler                                                                                                      
Representative Ashley Carrick                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stanley Wright                                                                                                   
Representative Zack Fields                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 63                                                                                                               
"An Act  repealing the Workers' Compensation  Appeals Commission;                                                               
relating  to decisions  and orders  of the  Workers' Compensation                                                               
Appeals Commission; relating to  superior court jurisdiction over                                                               
appeals  from  Alaska   Workers'  Compensation  Board  decisions;                                                               
repealing  Rules  201.1,  401.1,   and  501.1,  Alaska  Rules  of                                                               
Appellate  Procedure, and  amending Rules  202(a), 204(a)  - (c),                                                               
210(e),  601(b), 602(c)  and  (h), and  603(a),  Alaska Rules  of                                                               
Appellate Procedure; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 57                                                                                                               
"An  Act  relating  to review  organizations  and  permitting  an                                                               
emergency  medical  services  provider   to  establish  a  review                                                               
organization; and relating to patient records."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 57 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 29                                                                                                               
"An Act relating to insurance discrimination."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     -BILL HEARING CANCELED                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  63                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION                                                                            
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) RAUSCHER                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
02/06/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/06/23       (H)       L&C, JUD                                                                                               
02/17/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
02/17/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/17/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/03/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  57                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: EMERGENCY MED. SVCS: REVIEW ORGANIZATIONS                                                                          
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) WRIGHT                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
02/03/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/03/23       (H)       L&C, HSS                                                                                               
02/17/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
02/17/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/17/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/03/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
BRIAN WEBB, representing self                                                                                                   
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Gave public testimony in support of HB 57.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
DR. JOSEPH LIVENGOOD, representing self                                                                                         
Fairbanks, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Gave public testimony during the hearing on                                                              
HB 57.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MIO RHEIN, Captain                                                                                                              
South Tongass Fire Department                                                                                                   
Ketchikan, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Gave public testimony during the hearing on                                                              
HB 57.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:15:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JESSE SUMNER  called the House Labor  and Commerce Standing                                                             
Committee  meeting  to  order  at   3:15  p.m.    Representatives                                                               
Carrick, Ruffridge, Saddler, and Sumner  were present at the call                                                               
to  order.   Representative Prax  arrived as  the meeting  was in                                                               
progress.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
         HB  63-REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:16:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 63, "An  Act repealing the  Workers' Compensation                                                               
Appeals  Commission;  relating to  decisions  and  orders of  the                                                               
Workers'  Compensation Appeals  Commission; relating  to superior                                                               
court   jurisdiction   over    appeals   from   Alaska   Workers'                                                               
Compensation Board  decisions; repealing Rules 201.1,  401.1, and                                                               
501.1, Alaska  Rules of Appellate  Procedure, and  amending Rules                                                               
202(a),  204(a)  -  (c),  210(e), 601(b),  602(c)  and  (h),  and                                                               
603(a), Alaska  Rules of Appellate  Procedure; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:16:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SUMNER   opened  public  testimony   on  HB  63.     After                                                               
ascertaining  that nobody  wished  to testify,  he closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:16:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that HB 63 was held over.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        HB  57-EMERGENCY MED. SVCS: REVIEW ORGANIZATIONS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:16:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  57, "An Act relating to  review organizations and                                                               
permitting an emergency medical  services provider to establish a                                                               
review organization; and relating to patient records."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:16:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on HB 57.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:17:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRIAN  WEBB,  representing  self, reiterated  the  importance  of                                                               
including emergency  medical services (EMS) personnel  in privacy                                                               
laws Their inclusion is an  important part of EMS recruitment and                                                               
retention.  He  stated that quarterly EMS review  meetings can be                                                               
"uncomfortable" because  topics being discussed are  not provided                                                               
with the same protections that  are available as other healthcare                                                               
institutions such as hospitals  or clinical review organizations.                                                               
He said  that is vital for  training and improving care  that EMS                                                               
providers  are  offered  the  same   protections.    Without  the                                                               
protections,  those on  the  outside  of EMS  care  that may  not                                                               
understand the  process are able to  use what is said  during the                                                               
meetings against EMS personnel in  litigation.  He concluded that                                                               
several other states have already enacted such protections.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:20:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK asked  if  there were  any other  medical                                                               
professionals  other than  EMS not  covered by  these protections                                                               
that should be.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WEBB  answered that  he  is  unsure  but believes  that  EMS                                                               
providers   are  the   only  providers   not  covered   by  these                                                               
protections.  In  response to a follow-up question,  he said that                                                               
these  protections are  specific to  healthcare providers  and do                                                               
not include other industries.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:22:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked what level  of familiarity Mr. Webb has                                                               
with volunteer fire departments.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. WEBB answered that he has  been a member of several volunteer                                                               
fire  departments.   In  response  to  a follow-up  question,  he                                                               
answered  that volunteer  fire departments  do  conduct the  same                                                               
types of meetings.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:23:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK asked  why  podiatrists are  specifically                                                               
listed in the bill, and why naturopaths are not.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. WEBB  answered that the  language of  the bill comes  from an                                                               
attempt  to pass  a  similar bill  in  2015.   In  response to  a                                                               
follow-up question, he  stated that he is  unsure why podiatrists                                                               
are specifically listed in the bill.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:25:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. JOSEPH  LIVENGOOD, representing  self, stated  that he  is an                                                               
acute  care surgeon  and medical  director  for several  agencies                                                               
around  the  state.    He  stated that  HB  57  would  allow  EMS                                                               
personnel to have candid discussions  about the care they provide                                                               
to  patients  without  the  fear  that  what  is  said  in  those                                                               
discussions  will  be  useable  in  potential  litigation.    The                                                               
proposed legislation  would not  suppress information or  make it                                                               
impossible to sue for medical malpractice.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:27:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked whether  Dr. Livengood knew  of any                                                               
cases  in which  an EMS  provider was  held liable  for something                                                               
they said during a review meeting.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DR.  LIVENGOOD  answered  that   the  number  of  complaints  has                                                               
"skyrocketed" over  the last couple of  years.  He added  that in                                                               
Colorado, there  have been lawsuits  over the use of  ketamine to                                                               
help  with  "agitated" patients.    In  response to  a  follow-up                                                               
question,  he stated  that he  did not  have a  specific case  to                                                               
which he could refer.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:31:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIO RHEIN,  Captain, South Tongass  Fire Department,  stated that                                                               
the  South  Tongass  Fire  Department  is  a  "combination"  fire                                                               
department,  meaning that  it is  made up  of paid  employees and                                                               
volunteers.  He stated that  the expectations in both performance                                                               
and certifications  are growing for  EMS providers.  The  fear of                                                               
litigation is  generated more  from the  potential of  cases than                                                               
known cases  but is growing  among EMS  providers.  He  said that                                                               
not having the ability to  discuss ways of improving patient care                                                               
without fear of litigation prevents  EMS personnel from improving                                                               
their abilities, especially among volunteers.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:34:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SADDLER  asked   how  often   the  reviews   are                                                               
conducted.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. RHEIN  answered that each  EMS call  is reviewed and  given a                                                               
deeper review  if needed.   In response to a  follow-up question,                                                               
he stated that there can be more  than one way to treat a patient                                                               
and it is not  always clear which is the absolute  best way to do                                                               
so.  He  added that even when  a good outcome is  achieved, it is                                                               
possible that there  was a better treatment  available, and there                                                               
is concern for EMS personnel  that such information could be used                                                               
against them.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:39:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER closed public testimony on HB 57 after ascertaining                                                                
that no one else wished to testify.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:39:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved  to report HB 57  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There  being no objection, HB 57 was  reported out of the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:40:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at                                                                  
3:40 p.m.                                                                                                                       

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
Letters of Opposition HB63.pdf HL&C 3/3/2023 3:15:00 PM
HB 63