HB 344-MEDICAL ASSIST. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS  3:13:16 PM CHAIR PRAX announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 344, "An Act relating to medical assistance demonstration projects established by the Department of Health." 3:13:52 PM EMILY RICCI, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Health, gave invited testimony on HB 344. She said HB 344 would provide authorization to the DOH to apply for an 1115 demonstration project and added that HB 344 supports the DOH's goal of moving from patient's acute healthcare needs to prevention and stabilization of patients chronic or ongoing healthcare needs. 3:15:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked if the DOH had considered the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD)'s recent unveiling of the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator (HSPA) and its implications for a piece of legislation like HB 344. MS. RICCI responded that the DOH has not directly considered the DHUD's new HSPA program but said that the department is in conversation with multiple national groups to identify opportunities to leverage. REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked for clarification as to how a 1115 waiver works and how it correlates to health-related needs in Alaska. MS. RICCI explained that the 1115 waiver is a tool used by the DOH to achieve specific policy/programmatic goals and said that there is ample statutory language to currently to explore federal opportunities related to federal re-entry care. She emphasized that any budgetary impacts must be approved by the legislature. REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked why there is a focus on the re-entry provision of HB 344. MS. RICCI answered that the focus on the re-entry provision is largely in areas of healthcare, behavioral health, and substance use disorders. 3:19:54 PM CHAIR PRAX asked when the legislature could expect to see the application of the re-entry provision of HB 344. MS. RICCI explained that the DOH would first need contractors to complete the technical developmental work and said the DOH would anticipate substantial community engagement and tribal consultation 3:21:55 PM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE moved to report HB 344 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 344 was reported from the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.