Healthcare (Hospitals)

HB 372 requires licensed health care providers who refer patients for 10 specific services (including lab work, therapy, medical equipment, and hospital care) to report financial ties to the Alaska Health Commissioner by September 1, 2026. Service providers must also report billing amounts for referrals linked to financial relationships. The law mandates reporting on both direct financial ties and family connections, while protecting patient and provider confidentiality. This transparency measure aims to track referral patterns and billing for these covered services in Alaska.

HB 95 renames the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives to the Board of Licensed Midwives, extends the board’s termination date from 2025 to 2031, and requires insurance coverage for midwifery care regardless of delivery location. It directly affects licensed midwives (including those transitioning from "certified direct-entry" status), pregnant people seeking home births, and insurance providers. Key provisions include updating legal definitions to reflect the new board name, ensuring midwifery services are covered under insurance policies, and codifying the legislature’s intent to support home births with licensed midwives. The bill aims to remove barriers to non-hospital births while maintaining oversight of midwifery practice.

HB 27 amends Alaska law to clarify and expand the definition of "major emergencies" in medical services, explicitly including heart attacks and strokes. It updates the Department of Health's responsibilities to coordinate emergency medical services (including trauma care), award grants to support providers, and establish standards for hospitals to qualify as trauma centers. The bill directly affects hospitals, clinics, and emergency medical personnel by defining which conditions require specialized emergency response systems. Key provisions require the department to develop criteria based on national standards for trauma center designation and ensure coordination across public and private emergency care providers. This is a procedural update to existing emergency medical system administration, not a new funding or program.

SJR 15 is a resolution calling on Alaska's congressional delegation (Senators Murkowski and Sullivan, and Representative Begich) to oppose federal Medicaid funding cuts. It urges them to protect Medicaid coverage for over 250,000 Alaskans who rely on it for health care, especially children, seniors, rural residents, and Alaska Native communities. The resolution emphasizes that Medicaid supports essential services like hospital care, nursing home support, and healthcare jobs across the state. It does not change laws but formally requests congressional action.

SB 76 defines "complex care residential homes" in Alaska state law as facilities providing 24-hour, multi-disciplinary care to no more than 15 individuals with specialized medical, behavioral, or disability-related needs. The bill adds this category to existing health facility regulations, explicitly excluding such homes from the definition of "hospital" to clarify regulatory oversight. This change directly affects residential care facilities serving vulnerable adults requiring specialized, ongoing support. The bill creates a new regulatory framework for these homes under Alaska’s Department of Health, without altering service requirements or funding.