HB 284-PIONEERS HOME RX DRUG BENEFIT  3:07:52 PM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that the first order of business would be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 284, "An Act requiring the Department of Health and Social Services to accept federal prescription drug benefits or to provide comparable benefits for residents of the Alaska Pioneers' Home, including residents eligible for discount or free benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the Indian Health Service of the United States Department of Health and Human Services." 3:08:53 PM REPRESENTATIVE LES GARA, Alaska State Legislature, explained that HB 284 codified that the Alaska Pioneers' Home would ensure that all prescription medicine benefits that residents were entitled to from Indian Health Service (IHS) or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be provided by the Pioneers' Home at the same price. 3:11:13 PM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked if his military benefits would be extended to him should he become a resident of the Pioneers' Home. 3:11:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARA replied that veterans with more than 51 percent disability were entitled to lifelong free prescription medicine. He revealed that the communication between the VA and the IHS with the Pioneer Home was not very good, and had resulted in a loss of comparable prescription drug service for the residents with benefits from VA and IHS. 3:13:33 PM DAVE THERIAULT, Staff to Representative Les Gara, Alaska State Legislature, in response to a discussion between Representatives Lynn and Gara, said that there was not a problem for veterans as long as they could self administer prescription drugs. 3:15:28 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARA, in response to Co-Chair Keller, said that the Pioneer Home policy was "to make it work." He reported that the Pioneer Home would either accept the prescription drug deliveries from the IHS and the VA, or would provide the prescription drug to the beneficiaries at the same price. 3:16:54 PM RIC DAVIDGE, President, Vietnam Veterans of America, reflected that this was an excellent example of legislators working with federal, state, and private organizations to solve emerging problems. He shared his support of HB 284. 3:18:52 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if there were other problems with prescription medical benefits that were not yet addressed. 3:19:26 PM MR. DAVIDGE replied that there were other problems and he expressed his hope that solutions could be coordinated without legislation. 3:20:06 PM DAVE COTE, Director, Central Office, Division of Alaska Pioneer Homes, Department of Health and Social Services, testified that the department was neutral on the bill, and there was a zero fiscal note. He said that the Pioneers' Home was already administering the prescription drugs in accordance with HB 284. He pointed out that any overbilling to veterans had been rectified. 3:21:04 PM CO-CHAIR HERRON asked if the legislation was necessary, or would future staff also accept this decision. 3:21:30 PM MR. COTE replied that the legislation was not necessary at this time, but that he could not predict the future. He offered that HB 284 would prevent any future re-occurrence of the problems. 3:22:11 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON reflected on the necessity for additional legislation. He noted that one of his "shirt-tail relatives" was also a veteran involved in this prescription drug distribution problem. He applauded the resolution of the problem. 3:23:37 PM CO-CHAIR KELLER, in agreement with Representative Seaton, reflected on the necessity of trust of the administrators and his dislike for micro management. He stated his disapproval for additional legislation. 3:24:34 PM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN expressed the necessity to address policy prior to a need, so that there were guidelines "in a measured way and not in the middle of some kind of a problem." 3:25:20 PM CO-CHAIR HERRON noted that Co-Chair Keller had worked on this problem during the interim. 3:25:36 PM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN moved to report SSHB284 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SSHB 284 was forwarded from the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.