SB 45-MEDICAID MENTAL HEALTH PARITY  4:24:38 PM CHAIR DUNBAR reconvened the meeting and announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 45 "An Act relating to medical assistance services; relating to parity in mental health and substance use disorder coverage in the state medical assistance program; and providing for an effective date." 4:24:57 PM CHAIR DUNBAR solicited a motion. 4:25:01 PM SENATOR GIESSEL moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for SB 45, work order 34-LS0146\I, as the working document. 4:25:12 PM CHAIR DUNBAR objected for purposes of discussion. 4:25:21 PM ARIELLE WIGGIN, Staff, Senator Forrest Dunbar, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, offered a summary of changes for SB 45, version A to I. [Original punctuation provided.] Section 1 Page 1 Lines 5-11 Inserts a new section in uncodified law that describes the legislative intent of this bill, independent of related federal policy. Section 2-3 Renumbers references to previous sections, otherwise unchanged from Version A Section 4  Page 3 Line 21 changes reporting requirement from every year to every four years. Page 3 Line 25 adds a new paragraph instructing the department create an action plan for addressing noncompliance with federal mental health parity law and new statute AS 47.07.033. Page 3 Line 30 Instructs the department to include noncompliance complaints received in the past 12 months in a progress report submitted to the Legislature every year they do not submit a report. Section 5-8 Previous Sections 5-7; Renumbers references to previous sections, otherwise unchanged from Version A 4:26:33 PM SENATOR HUGHES noted that she didn't have version I in her packet. 4:27:16 PM SENATOR GIESSEL expressed concern that the summary of changes doesn't match the new bill. She said she doesn't see how page 3, line 30, "instructs the department to include noncompliance complaints received in the past 12 months in a report." 4:27:38 PM MS. WIGGIN stated that page 4, line 30, matches the summary of changes. 4:27:55 PM MS. WIGGIN noted that the legal services department has been working hard on the changes. She stated that there will be more changes after the stakeholders review the updates. 4:28:13 PM CHAIR DUNBAR stated that the Department of Health found the proposal overly burdensome and costly, so the department asked to work with the behavioral health association on a revised version. He said while advocates are not fully satisfied, the goal is to reach a workable compromise that reduces administrative burdens on behavioral health providers. 4:28:57 PM SENATOR HUGHES noted that the bill's intent language directs parity not only for the state Medicaid program but for all health insurance plans. She asked whether private plans and other state plans are currently providing mental health parity. 4:29:37 PM MS. WIGGIN replied that the language is uncodified intent and does not have the force of law but states the bill's goal. She noted that Alaska is exempt from the federal Mental Health Parity Act due to its fee-for-service system. She suggested that the Department of Health respond for clarification. 4:30:12 PM SENATOR HUGHES acknowledged the language in SB 45 is nonbinding but notes that it directs Medicaid to improve mental health parity. She asked about the current status of mental health parity in private insurance plans and whether the sponsor is aware of how those plans compare. 4:30:48 PM MS. WIGGIN replied that their focus has been on Medicaid and that private insurance plans in the state are not required to provide mental health parity. She offered to conduct further research and provide a written response. 4:31:38 PM CHAIR DUNBAR removed his objection. He found no further objection and CSSB 45 was adopted as the working document. 4:32:06 PM CHAIR DUNBAR held SB 45 in committee.