HB 361-BENEFIT REQS: MENTAL HLTH & SUBST ABUSE  4:42:23 PM CHAIR PRAX announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 361, "An Act relating to the medical assistance program and mental health or substance use disorder benefit requirements; and providing for an effective date." RILEY NYE, Staff, Representative Mike Prax, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Mike Prax, prime sponsor, presented HB 361. He began by reading the sponsor statement [included in committee packet], which read as follows[original punctuation provided]: House bill 361 seeks to change the burdensome requirements placed on behavioral health services under the State of Alaska Medicaid program. In 2000, Congress passed the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). This law prevents group health plans and health insurers that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits from imposing less favorable benefit limitations and requirements than on medical/surgical benefits. Today, 37 states have enacted parity laws of widely varying scope and efficacy. Since the beginning of 2018, 17 states have passed legislation requiring insurers to demonstrate compliance on an annual basis. The State of Alaska Medicaid Program is exempt from federal MH/SUD Parity requirements because Alaska is a 'Fee-for-Service' State. This exemption has led to ineffective payment rates for providers AND overbearing regulatory requirements that further erode access to life-saving treatments. While commercial insurers are required to meet Federal parity requirements, House bill 361 seeks the same access to behavioral health services for Medicaid beneficiaries. To the extent the State law mandates that an issuer provide some coverage for any mental health condition or substance use disorder, benefits for that condition or disorder must be provided in parity with medical/surgical benefits under MHPAEA." In other words, state laws can strengthen parity protections but not weaken them. House bill 361 requires parity to reduce the administrative burden and less favorable benefit limitations for behavioral health services Alaska. 4:44:58 PM LANCE JOHNSON, COO, Alaska Behavioral Health Association, provided invited testimony during the hearing on HB 361. He began by describing the necessity of the proposed legislation and why it was separate from HCR 9. He explained the difference in healthcare scenarios in which parity was present in one and not in the other. He highlighted the narrow window that currently exists for someone experiencing a mental health crisis to seek proper healthcare and explained the need to align integrated healthcare with what currently exists. He opined that HB 361 would be a good starting point to align those two aspects of the system. 4:50:47 PM TRACY DOMPELING, Director, Division of Behavioral Health, Department of Health, as invited testifier, remarked that Mr. Johnson had covered the most important parts of the proposed legislation and informed the committee that DOH is prepared to work with the legislature in the implementation of the policies proposed under HB 361. 4:51:44 PM CHAIR PRAX opened public testimony on HB 361. After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 4:52:39 PM CHAIR PRAX announced that HB 361 was held over.