This bill establishes new minimum standards for health insurance provider networks in Alaska, requiring health care insurers to consider these standards when calculating benefits for policies that involve limited networks. The bill mandates that insurers include all licensed hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, mental health and substance abuse facilities, and their associated medical professionals in their networks. Additionally, it specifies that insurers must maintain a sufficient number of licensed medical professionals in each of the six defined contracting regions to meet the established network adequacy requirements.

The bill also allows health care insurers to request exceptions to these minimum standards, subject to approval by the director, who will set regulations for the process. Insurers are required to annually attest to their compliance with the standards and provide documentation to support their claims. Furthermore, the bill repeals a previous provision in AS 21.07.020(3) and sets an effective date of January 1, 2026, for the new regulations.

Statutes affected:
SB0122A, AM SB 122, introduced 03/05/2025:
SB0122B, AM CSSB 122(HSS), introduced 04/07/2025: