Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/28/1994 01:37 PM Senate HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
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SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
March 28, 1994
1:37 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Steve Rieger, Chairman
Senator Bert Sharp, Vice-Chairman
Senator Loren Leman
Senator Mike Miller
Senator Jim Duncan
Senator Judy Salo
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Johnny Ellis
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 367
"An Act relating to health care and insurance for health care; to
review and approval of health insurance rates and rating factors;
relating to certain civil actions against health care providers; to
coordination of insurance benefits and to determination and
disclosure of fees paid to an insured or health care provider; to
the rate of interest on certain judgments and decrees; to excise
taxes on cigarettes; amending Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure 26,
27, 68, 79, and 82 and Alaska Rules of Evidence 802, 803, and 804;
repealing Alaska Rule of Civil Procedure 72.1; and providing for an
effective date."
PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 367 - No previous action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
Nancy Usera, Commissioner
Department of Administration
P.O. Box 110200
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0200
POSITION STATEMENT: Expressed concerns with SB 367.
Jay Livey, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Health and Social Services
P.O. Box 110601
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0601
POSITION STATEMENT: Suggested including an excise tax on alcohol. .
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-23, SIDE A
Number 005
CHAIRMAN RIEGER called the Senate Health, Education and Social
Services (HESS) Committee to order at 1:37 p.m. He introduced
SB 367 (HEALTH CARE REFORM COMMITTEES) as the only business before e
the committee. He gave an overview of SB 367 through the sectional
summary provided in the committee packets. He noted his previous
amendment which strengthened the arbitration provision when
indicating that it may be useful in sections 1 and 2 of SB 367.
Chairman Rieger indicated that the language of section 4 was
simpler language than earlier recommended to the committee which
may or may not be appropriate. He explained that commercial
enterprises would need a high enough rate of interest on judgements
so as not to induce a delay of settlement. On the other hand, when
not dealing with a commercial settlement, the penalty should not
increase at a punitively high rate. The settlement should be
relatively equal to the adjusted value of the damage when the
damage occurred. He suggested that the committee review that
language.
Chairman Rieger pointed out that section 6 provides a $300 per day
fee as opposed to the previous $150 per day fee. This may still be
too low. He noted that section 12 changes the excise tax on
cigarettes to 17 mills which differs from the Governor's proposal.
He emphasized that the most significant changes in SB 367 are
encompassed in sections 16 and 17. Section 16 establishes a
committee with a more specific direction than that of SB 270; this
section provides a mechanism for implementing a catastrophic
universal plan and a major medical plan. Section 17 attempts to
pursue the idea of practice parameters. He pointed out that the
Health Care Plan Advisory Committee and the Medical Practice
Advisory Committee are repealed under section 23 which eliminates
the lengthy sunset process.
Number 185
NANCY USERA, Commissioner of the Department of Administration,
stated support for SB 270. She said that in some areas SB 367 goes
farther than SB 270 and in others it does not. SB 367 would
advance the cause of the health care system in Alaska. She
supported the concept of discovering a financing mechanism and a
financing source for the data collection; however, she expressed
that the 1996 repealor of the advisory boards would leave a void
for dealing with this issue in the long term. She stated that the
things that SB 367 would do for the health care system are helpful.
CHAIRMAN RIEGER explained that the repealer of the two committees
is in response to the difficulty to sunset organizations. He said
that language could be added to extend the existence of the
committees, if they prove useful or if more information was needed
by the state.
NANCY USERA expressed concern that any long term changes to the
health care system have adequate planning and management so that
health care is reviewed in a comprehensive manner for Alaska.
CHAIRMAN RIEGER asked if Ms. Usera had any specific areas that she
wanted addressed in SB 367. NANCY USERA said no. CHAIRMAN RIEGER
said that SB 367 would be open to suggestions. NANCY USERA said
that she would review SB 367.
JAY LIVEY, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Health and
Social Services, commended the inclusion of an excise tax on
cigarettes in SB 367. He informed the committee that if someone
can reach the age of eighteen without smoking, then they are not
likely to start smoking. The higher price of cigarettes would be
price sensitive to young smokers; hopefully, leading to a decrease
in the number of young smokers. He suggested that an alcohol
excise tax would be good for the same reasons as discussed
regarding the cigarette excise tax. He noted SB 269 which includes
an excise tax on cigarettes and alcohol. He offered to provide the
committee with more information regarding an alcohol excise tax.
CHAIRMAN RIEGER asked if anyone else would like to testify on
SB 267. A brief at ease was taken in order to allow the listen
only teleconference sites to testify. No one desired to testify by
teleconference. Chairman Rieger held SB 367 until Wednesday's
meeting.
There being no further business before the committee, the meeting
was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.
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