CHAIRMAN KELLY called the Labor and Commerce meeting to order at              
 1:33 p.m. and announced  SB 193  (DISCRIMINATION UNDER HEALTH                 
 INSURANCE) to be up for consideration.                                        
                                                                               
 KEN ERICKSON, Staff to Senator Pearce, said SB 193 prevent health             
 insurance companies from discriminating against state licensed                
 marital and family therapists whenever the company offers coverage            
 for mental health services.  This bill does not mandate any new               
 coverage, he said.  It does provide freedom of choice for the                 
 consumer and passes on cost savings to both the patient and the               
 insuring companies.  He said that marital and family therapists               
 were awarded professional status last year and they have formed               
 their professional licensing board has been formed.                           
                                                                               
 DIXIE HOOD, licensed marriage and family therapist, supported SB              
 193, because it would provide professional parity with other                  
 licensed health care professionals in Alaska.  She said adding them           
 to the list of options will not expand the number of clients or the           
 cost and would add an alternative level of treatment.  This is                
 comparable to nurse/practitioners vs. physicians for medical                  
 treatment.  It can actually decrease costs of service since                   
 marriage and family therapists are qualified to do much of the same           
 work as other licensed mental health professionals and can do it              
 cheaper.                                                                      
                                                                               
 MERCY DENNIS, Co-Chairman, Legislative Committee for the Alaska               
 Division of the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy,                  
 supported SB 193.  She said they have received significant federal            
 recognition as one of the five core mental health professions.                
                                                                               
 This type of therapy is often cost effective, because by definition           
 it tends to emphasize active, short term mental health treatment.             
 This is consistent with managed health care focus on shorter term             
 treatment as a way to protect escalating costs.  Marriage and                 
 family counseling fees are significantly less than psychologists              
 and psychiatrists.  MS. DENNIS explained that marriage and family             
 counselors treat individuals in the context of their families,                
 providing service for 2 or more persons at the cost of individual             
 treatment.                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR RIEGER asked what the qualifications are for becoming a               
 marriage and family therapist.  MS. DENNIS answered that in Alaska            
 one has to have a minimum of a masters degree in marriage and                 
 family therapy or a like field which has to be documented.  They              
 have to take a written exam or come in with credentials from                  
 another state.                                                                
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO said she was supportive of this legislation, and asked           
 if on page 1, the word "licensed" applied to all the categories and           
 asked if each of those providers was licensed in the state                    
 separately.  Someone in the audience responded that the list of               
 providers are all licensed health care providers in the state of              
 Alaska.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Number 233                                                                    
                                                                               
 JOSH FINK, Aide to Senator Kelly, explained they had received an              
 amendment from Greg Pease who wanted to insert "acupuncturist"                
 after "naturopath" on page l, line 12.  Acupuncturists are licensed           
 in Alaska.                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN and SENATOR RIEGER thought it was a good idea to              
 make sure "state licensed" applies to all the professions listed.             
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY said they would look into that issue and have the               
 bill and have the bill back before the committee at a later date.