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About The Bill
Summary of Bill Elements
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Senate Bill 160 has multiple elements that all work towards making insurance affordable for all Alaskans. The chart to the right depicts how different aspects of the bill interact. Below, learn more about each element. As always, contact Sen. French’s Office if you have any questions.
Alaska Health Care Board (‘the Board’):
Under the Department of Health and Social Services, this Board will consist of a broad based group of health stakeholders. The Board will:
Administer the Alaska Health Fund
Define essential health care services
Establish criteria for participation in the Alaska Health Fund
Establish procedures for enrolling participants in the Alaska Health Care Program
Provide for issuing Alaska Health Cards to eligible individuals
An Alaska Health Card:
Issued to everyone who applies to use the Clearinghouse and is eligible for services under the Alaska Health Plan (residency is the only requirement).
Essential health care services:
Defined by the Alaska Health Care Board, essential services include the minimum set of benefits that must be included in an accountable health care plan
Accountable health care plan:
A health care plan that is certified as providing the minimum set of essential health care services
Alaska Health Care Clearinghouse:
The Clearinghouse will administer the Alaska Health Care Plan under the direction of the Board. It will also:
disseminate information about insurance products
set up a framework for purchasing insurance with pre-tax dollars
issue sliding scale and specified beneficiary health care vouchers to qualified recipients, as defined below
The Alaska Health Fund:
The Fund will receive dollars from:
state funds, including money currently allocated for uncompensated care
federal funds
private individual, employer and employee contributions
Dollars will leave the account in the form of health care vouchers, to be used only on accountable health care plans.
Health care vouchers:
Two types of health care vouchers will be issued from the Alaska Health Care Fund;
Sliding Scale vouchers
Paid on a sliding scale to those under 300% of the federal poverty level
Specified beneficiary vouchers
These vouchers are paid to a beneficiary who had contributions to the fund on their behalf, made by any party. The voucher amount will equal the full amount of the contributions made, and can be used to purchase coverage for the beneficiary and/or immediate family members.
An individual who qualifies for a sliding scale voucher is also eligible to receive a specified beneficiary voucher.
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Do You Have Further Questions?
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