Gov Proposes Extending Medicaid for New Moms
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- Category: State News
- Created on Monday, 06 February 2023 15:43
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By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed extending Medicaid coverage for new mothers from 60 days to 360 days by introducing a bill that fulfills a pledge he made during last month’s State of the State address.
Announcing the bill with a written statement on Friday, the governor’s office said mental health care for new mothers is a key factor in preventing maternal deaths.
“Many women who experience postpartum depression don’t have an onset of symptoms until after that initial screening, which is too late to seek treatment with Medicaid coverage,” the statement said. “Nearly 16 percent of women in Alaska who experienced perinatal depression or anxiety between 2015 and 2020 indicated that they could not access needed treatments or support due to challenges with insurance or cost.”
In last month’s speech, Dunleavy said he wants to make Alaska “the most pro-life state” in the country, an act that will require support for parents as well as children.
Thirty-six other states have already extended their Medicaid coverage for new mothers, said Dr. Anne Zink, the state’s chief medical officer, under a provision of the federal American Rescue Plan Act that allows them to voluntarily do so.
State law requires the Alaska Legislature to authorize voluntary Medicaid coverage before implementation.
Extending postpartum care will cost an additional $2.6 million per year, according to preliminary estimates.
The bill has been referred to the House Health and Social Services Committee; companion legislation is expected in the Senate next week.
Zink noted that America’s maternal mortality rates are the highest in the developed world and are worsening. Between 2018 and 2020, eight Alaskans died while pregnant and a 2013 bulletin previously reported by USA Today noted 13 deaths between 2000 and 2011.
Those figures cover only deaths among pregnant women and within 42 days of the pregnancy’s end. Postpartum health problems can persist after that period and have caused additional deaths.
Medicaid, also known as DenaliCare in Alaska, provides health care access to people with lower incomes.
Thousands of women could receive additional benefits if the Legislature passes the bill. In 2021, Medicaid paid the costs of 38% of the state’s births, or 3,586 new Alaskans. The number of Alaskans who benefit from the new legislation could be higher than that.
“The health department projected 5,000 women would have had some sort of coverage gap within the 10 additional months,” said Jeff Turner, the governor’s deputy communications director, citing an estimate based on pre-pandemic figures.
Rep. Jennie Armstrong, D-Anchorage, spoke in favor of the measure after its introduction.
“After a perfectly healthy pregnancy, I had three separate, life-threatening things happen,” she said. “I required a lot of medical care, and I know how important it is. If we want Alaska to be a place where families feel welcome, it starts with making sure that mothers and children are taken care of at their most vulnerable time. They are their most vulnerable and need the most medical attention in that first year.”
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Progress, Setbacks in State Health Report
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- Category: State News
- Created on Friday, 03 February 2023 15:44
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By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaskans have been pursuing healthier lifestyles by many measures, but disturbing trends of violence and suicide continue to plague the population, according to status reports released by the Alaska Department of Health.
The Healthy Alaskans 2020 final report and scorecard issued by the department earlier this week painted a mixed picture of progress over a decade. Among the 25 indicators measured were some targets accomplished but also some setbacks.
The program, a collaboration of the department and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, has been producing health improvement plans since 1994, with objectives defined for 10-year periods and progress measured periodically.
Among the striking improvements shown in the 2020 results released this week was a reduction in the rate of cancer deaths in Alaska. While cancer remains the leading cause of death in the state, the rate fell significantly, decreasing by 15.5% from 2000 to 2019, the scorecard said.
More positive news was shown in declines of tobacco use and binge drinking. Additionally, there was increased access to medical care and support, with targets met for affordability of doctor visits and for the percentage of adolescents who said they had at least three trusted adults in their lives to provide help if needed.
Negative trends shown in the scorecard were statistics for the various traumatic harms that Alaskans continue to suffer.
Suicide rates increased by about 26% from 2010 to 2019, and rates of rape increased by about 20% from 2013 to 2019, according to the scorecard. Rates of domestic violence increased, though not as dramatically, according to the scorecard.
Alaska consistently has one of the nation’s highest rates of suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wyoming was the only U.S. state with a higher 2020 suicide rate than Alaska. Alaska has long had much higher rates of rape and domestic violence than the national average, with Alaska Native women at particularly high risk.
The Healthy Alaskans 2020 scorecard also said that rates of death from unintentional injuries rose by 7.6% over the period. For years, Alaska has had one of the nation’s highest rates of deaths from accidental injuries.
Another area where trends are going in the wrong direction, according to the report, is obesity. Rates for both children and adults rose between 2010 and 2019, the report said, though a smaller percentage of adults were classified as “overweight,” a category not as serious as obesity. Alaskans’ exercise habits fell short of targets, the reports said.
In addition to the 2020 scorecard for Alaskans as a whole, a separate scorecard was released that tracked the same indicators for Alaska Natives, with mostly similar trends.
Along with the final assessments for the Healthy Alaskans 2020 improvement plan and targets, the department released some preliminary findings about progress toward goals for 2030 in the form of the first scorecard for the current decade.
That scorecard noted progress in several areas, including access to fluoridated water systems, the percentage of toddlers with well-child checkups, the percentage of population living above the poverty level and reductions in alcohol-induced death rates and tobacco use.
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State Labor Commissioner Resigns: No Reason Given
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- Category: State News
- Created on Wednesday, 01 February 2023 15:43
- Hits: 241
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The head of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development unexpectedly resigned Tuesday, causing Gov. Mike Dunleavy to name Deputy Commissioner Cathy Muñoz the agency’s acting boss.
Commissioner Tamika Ledbetter’s resignation was announced in an email from the governor’s office Tuesday afternoon, and state legislators — including the chairs of the Senate and House labor and commerce committees — said they were surprised by the announcement.
The resignation, handed in Tuesday, was effective immediately and Ledbetter is no longer a member of the administration, said a Dunleavy official.
Rep. Jesse Sumner, R-Wasilla and chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee, said he had just spoken with Ledbetter a few days ago, with no sign of an impending resignation.
The statement from the governor’s office did not say why Ledbetter resigned, and officials from the office were unable to immediately provide a copy of her resignation letter.
“I am very much looking forward to spending time with my family, traveling abroad and welcoming the birth of our first grandchild,” Ledbetter said in the statement from the governor’s office.
The governor’s office did not answer a question asking whether Ledbetter resigned to spend more time with her family. A call to Muñoz’s cellphone was unanswered
Muñoz, who replaces Ledbetter, is a Republican former state representative from Juneau who has worked as deputy labor commissioner since 2018.
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Thanks to the generosity and expertise of the the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska broadband department, Tidal Network ; Christopher Cropley, director of Tidal Network; and Luke Johnson, Tidal Network technician, SitkaSentinel.com is again being updated. Tidal Network has been working tirelessly to install Starlink satellite equipment for city and other critical institutions, including the Sentinel, following the sudden breakage of GCI's fiberoptic cable on August 29, which left most of Sitka without internet or phone connections. CCTHITA's public-spirited response to the emergency is inspiring.
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September 2004
Sheldon Jackson College’s Service Programs and Civic Engagement Project is teaming up with One Day’s Pay to provide volunteer service in remembrance of Sept. 11. ... To join the effort contact Chris Bryner.
50 YEARS AGO
September 1974
From On the Go by SAM: The Greater Sitka Arts Council has issued its first newsletter – congratulations! Included with the newsletter is an arts event calendar.
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