HR 14-OPPOSE FEDERAL HEALTH CARE REFORM BILLS  3:26:23 PM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 14, Urging the United States Congress to oppose federal health care reform bills. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CHENAULT, Alaska State Legislature, stated that although he agreed that the current health care system did not work for all citizens of the United States, he offered his belief that the current national health care reform bill was attempting to impose a "one size fits all" solution. He read from the sponsor statement: Also noted by the RGA was the fact that the health care House Resolution 14 requests the Alaska Congressional delegation to vote against current health care reform bills and to develop health care reform that is affordable and accessible to all legal residents. It also requests the Governor to review the constitutionality of the Nebraska Compromise that guaranteed Nebraskans would receive a break to pay for expanded access to Medicaid benefits. This exemption was granted in order to obtain Senator Ben Nelson's vote in order to get the 60 votes needed to send the health care reform legislation to the Senate floor. Vermont, Florida and Louisiana also received special deals in order to get Senators' votes to reach the 60 vote threshold. As noted in the letter from the Republican Governors Association (RGA), "health care reform should be about fixing our broken Medicaid and Medicare systems; instead, the current health care bills entitle 15-20 million more people to Medicaid….the unfunded mandate to states and territories is $25 billion." Reform bills "impose a one-size fits all federally- designed health insurance exchange." Alaska, as well as the other states, needs the flexibility to design and operate mechanisms to purchase insurance. Alaska and the rest of the states will face increased health care entitlement costs every year if this legislation passes. The proposed health care reform legislation is also opposed by small businesses around the state and country. NFIB/Alaska states "it fails to address fundamental small business priorities. It does not make health insurance more accessible or affordable to small businesses….this legislation actually increases the overall costs of doing business for small businesses. REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT reflected on his surveys of other institutions in Alaska. 3:30:32 PM CO-CHAIR KELLER stated that HR 14 was directed against the current federal health care reform legislation. He assured that the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee was committed to looking at health care reform issues that would provide quality health care for everyone. 3:31:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT agreed that it was necessary to have a health care system which takes care of everyone. He opined that the current federal health care bill was "over the top." He asked what other concerns and effects it would create. He referred to a synopsis of comments from an Institute of Social Economic Research (ISER) study. [Included in the committee packets.] He said that additional new insurance patients would impact Medicare beneficiaries. He reflected that he had been fortunate to have the opportunity for health insurance, and he questioned the future availability and the future costs for health insurance. 3:33:46 PM CO-CHAIR KELLER reflected on the current federal health care legislation. 3:34:43 PM CO-CHAIR HERRON pointed to page 2, line 24 of HR 14, and asked if the word deal should be plural. [This was treated as conceptual Amendment 1 which read: Page 2, line 24: Replace "deal" with "deals" There being no objection, conceptual Amendment 1 was passed.] 3:35:28 PM CO-CHAIR KELLER moved to report HR 14 [as amended] out of committee with individual recommendations. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA objected. A roll call vote was taken. Representatives T. Wilson, Lynn, Herron, and Keller voted in favor of HR 14. Representatives Holmes, Seaton, and Cissna voted against it. Therefore, CSHR 14 (HSS) was reported out of the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee by a vote of 4-3.