Alaska Legislature Passes Revolutionary Subscription Health Care Bill

TL/DR –

The Alaska Legislature has passed a bill to legalize subscription-based healthcare, enabling primary care providers to offer services for a monthly fee without involving insurance companies. The bill, which is supported by conservative groups as a way to reduce healthcare costs, is the fifth measure adopted by the Legislature this year and awaits the governor’s signature. Critics argue the plan could only improve options for those who can afford a subscription on top of an insurance policy, while not improving access for those who cannot afford insurance.

Alaska Legislature Approves Subscription-Based Health Care Bill

The Alaska Legislature has passed a bill to legalize subscription-based health care, akin to a gym membership model, allowing primary care providers to offer services to patients for a monthly fee. These agreements grant access to basic health care services, bypassing insurance companies.

In a 12-7 vote on Thursday, the Senate adopted changes to the bill made by the House. This fifth measure to be adopted by the full Legislature this year awaits the signature of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who has not communicated his intent regarding the bill.

Conservative groups, including the Alaska Policy Forum, have long supported this proposal, arguing its potential for reducing health care costs in Alaska. On the flip side, some lawmakers express concerns that this model might not improve access for Alaskans unable to afford insurance or whose insurance policies provide restricted routine care coverage.

One provision in the bill requires clinics offering direct health agreements to continue accepting Medicare patients – at least 20% of their clientele must be insured through Medicare or completely uninsured. This policy aims to tackle a persistent shortage of providers willing to accept patients dependent on public insurance.

The Senate initially approved a previous version of the bill, but the House removed some restrictions, including the requirement for clinics offering direct health agreements to be owned by Alaska-based providers. Other changes included removing the requirement to inform patients explicitly that these agreements are not a form of insurance, leading to potential confusion and exposure regarding the extent of coverage.

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