HB 234-INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR TELEMEDICINE                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:06:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 234, "An  Act relating to insurance  coverage for                                                               
mental health benefits provided through telemedicine."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VAZQUEZ stated  that the proposed bill  was a very                                                               
short, focused bill which did not expand mandates.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ANITA HALTERMAN, Staff, Representative  Liz Vazquez, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, stated that  the proposed bill was a  parity bill to                                                               
level the playing  field, and required the  insurance industry to                                                               
reimburse  for the  coverage of  mental health  services provided                                                               
via telemedicine.  She explained  that there was only one insurer                                                               
in the state reimbursing for  mental health through telemedicine.                                                               
She  reported  that Medicaid  had  reimbursed  for mental  health                                                               
services and substance abuse coverage  for those Medicaid covered                                                               
individuals.  She  stated that the proposed bill  could impact up                                                               
to 15  percent of people in  Alaska, by providing the  option for                                                               
them to access  telemedicine and mental health  services via this                                                               
means.  She  emphasized that it did not provide  new services, as                                                               
mental health was already a  coverage component of insurance.  It                                                               
just  required   that  the  insurance  industry   allow  for  the                                                               
reimbursement without requiring a face to face encounter.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
[HB 234 was held over.]