Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Passes Measure Cutting Medical Red Tape

Bill Reduces Paperwork for Updating Medical Codes

For Immediate Release: April 6, 1998 Contact: Rep. Pete Kelly at (907) 465-2327.

Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives Monday passed House Bill 353, which streamlines the state's adoption of the current version of national medical codes.

"Sometimes our laws can be just plain silly. In this case, we are required to do mountains of paperwork for no real reason other than to do it," said Representative Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks), sponsor of HB 353. "This bill reduces that mountain of paperwork to a manageable molehill," Kelly said.

HB 353 is designed to aid health workers who must describe their work in numerical codes and meet various standards, using the latest in national medical references. Currently these codes are found in at least 19 different categories, which are updated annually.

"Without this bill state employees are forced to take minor changes through the full-blown regulation process. This is both expensive and time-consuming," Kelly said. "HB 353 will allow them to do their jobs more efficiently as well as save us a good deal of time and money," Kelly said.

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Broadcasters note: Comments from Rep. Kelly are available on the House Majority Actuality Line at (800) 478-6540.
= Pete Kelly, 65 K