NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON HEALTH CARE SERVICES PRICE TRANSPARENCY IN THE REGULATIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION The Department of Health & Social Services proposes to adopt regulations on health care services price transparency. |
The Department of Health and Social Services proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 7 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with health care services price transparency, including the following:
- A new chapter, 7 AAC 86. Health Care Services Price Transparency, is proposed to clarify AS 18.23.400. Disclosure and reporting of health care services, price, and fee information, including:
- The method a health care provider and health care facility must comply with to
- Report the price of health care services;
- Post the price of health care services;
- Provide a good faith estimate; and
- The method the department will use to enforce the law.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to the Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Public Health, Health Analytics & Vital Records, P.O. Box 110675, Juneau, Alaska 99801. Additionally, the Department of Health & Social Services will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-3423 and by electronic mail at clint.farr@alaska.gov . The comments must be received not later than 5 p.m. on September 27, 2019.
Oral or written comments also may be submitted at a hearing to be held on August 28, 2019, at the Frontier Building, conference rooms 880 and 890, 3601 C St. Suite 902, Anchorage, AK 99503. The hearing will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and might be extended to accommodate those present before 2:45 p.m. who did not have an opportunity to comment. If you are unable to attend in person, but would like to comment during the oral public hearing, you can call the teleconference Toll Free Access number (800) 616-4707.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Mr. Clint Farr by e-mail at clint.farr@alaska.gov or at the Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Public Health, Health Analytics & Vital Records, PO Box 110675, Juneau, Alaska 99801. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Health & Social Services will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System at https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/ .
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation to participate in this process, please contact Mr. Clint Farr by e-mail at clint.farr@alaska.gov or by telephone at (907) 465-8610 not later than August 16, 2019, to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Mr. Clint Farr by e-mail at clint.farr@alaska.gov or by telephone at (907) 465-8610.
A copy of material proposed for adoption by reference may be viewed at the agency's office at State of Alaska, Department of Health & Social Services, 3601 C Street, Suite 902, Anchorage, AK 99503.
After the public comment period ends, the Department of Health & Social Services will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected. Written comments received are public records and are subject to public inspection.
Statutory authority: AS 18.15.360; AS 18.23.400.
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 18.15.360; AS 18.23.400.
Fiscal information: It is estimated that the proposed regulation changes will require increased appropriations as follows: FY 2020, $24,900; FY 2021, $15,400; FY 2022: $15,900.
The Division of Public Health, Section of Health Analytics & Vital Records, keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in its regulations. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of all of the Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Section of Health Analytics and Vital Records notices of proposed regulation changes. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Section of Health Analytics and Vital Records at clint.farr@alaska.gov , giving your name, and either your e-mail address or mailing address, as you prefer for receiving notices.
DATE: July 18, 2019.
/s/Adam Crum
Commissioner
Department of Health & Social Services