Sponsor Statement for HB 219

HB 219 will allow Alaskans to choose chiropractic services notwithstanding the positions of their health maintenance organizations or gatekeepers. This bill will give Alaskans the right to choose their own initial treatment for their health services.

Managed Care Plans are one of the many solutions that have been suggested to control ever-rising health care costs. There are several types of entities under the umbrella of managed care, one of which is called a Health Maintenance Organization or HMO. Within the last 6 months, several articles in national magazines have been written documenting the abuses within HMO's. Examples of these abuses include dismissing mothers and new-borns too soon and gag clauses in the contract between the HMO and a participating doctor that limit what information the doctor can tell the patient about treatment options.

HMO's attempt to control the cost of health care by requiring all participants to initially go through a gatekeeper. A gatekeeper is usually a Medical Doctor or Registered Nurse who listens to the health complaint and refers the enrollee to the appropriate health care provider. There has been a long-standing animosity between traditional Western medicine and the chiropractic profession. This has improved in recent years, but the prejudice still exists. Many times a gatekeeper will not refer a patient to a chiropractor even if the HMO plan covers chiropractic services and even if such a referral would be the most effective means of solving the health complaint.

The issue this bill addresses is one of fairness. It would require that Health Maintenance Organizations allow their clients to self-refer to a chiropractor, thus guaranteeing a patient's right to these types of services. It also contains language stipulating that an HMO cannot limit a health care provider from disclosure of information to a patient regarding their condition or treatment options. At this time, there are no HMO's operating in Alaska, but this bill is being introduced in order to assure fairness and access in the future.