[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6359089,"mediaKeyId","2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153","parentId",2206843,"title","Public health briefing: SHARP increase, COVID funds winding down, department provides HMIS technical assistance","audioSeconds",434,"startMs",2705130,"endMs",3139340,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153&start=2705&end=3139","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153/thumbnail_2705130.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359089/Alaska/Public-health-briefing-SHARP-increase-COVID-funds-winding-down-department-provides-HMIS-technical-assistance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359089-e777d9d49839f5940ad2beb16b5cb7fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501002&Signature=XIBZzMg40j9YOTs1~inRdu10qkQtaVh9R0kIDP1ZiQWGeg8mBkT2PSV~4UTOU-ktXCLcLSARJTuTxlRdMUQDZW8vkBCF-vgCySNKeb9Naa2BV-e~vHrCfAdNDMao02sY6tPxzW3O8O0VhOmSd99N0os31VmtFQZ2OUiOoUX50log6939djUSTZl775sMM6tnw3FSHa2QKcUup-wOMvsIkh0kK5Q70kwIWFii6Sg8DDLHZ0Is1kLFQMsBDicLlPLTz9WtPghoJvwyRJVGXat~I8yAUqAtCuRY2ZrtpUoH4fbcnZiqTT5KrlhjPcZUzvTgGQGIhtNo~8-ogwPdrGf9fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","article","The House Finance Department of Health subcommittee was briefed on several public health budget and program items, including an increase for the SHARP recruitment program and the status of COVID‑era funds.

Assistant Commissioner Pam Halloran described a FY26 request of $1,650,000 in general fund program receipts for the Strengthening Health Care Access Recruitment Program (SHARP), a program that reimburses educational expenses under HRSA grants and that the department says supports rural placements. Halloran told the subcommittee that of 169 SHARP contracts issued in FY23, “69% of those were in rural locations.”

Halloran and staff also summarized COVID‑era appropriations to public health: “the documentation we have is at a $139,000,000 in COVID monies were issued to the Department of Health,” Halloran said, and the public health division “is currently sitting on an unobligated balance of 35,000,000,” some of which the division expects to obligate for lab and data modernization work.

On homelessness data, Dr. Robert Lawrence, the department’s chief medical officer, described the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) as a third‑party system owned by the continuums of care; the department said it provided technical assistance and data integrations to support communities and that ongoing conversations remain about the system’s future role.

Public health’s FY26 budget was presented as about $151,000,000 (a large federal decrease relative to FY25 driven by the conclusion of multiyear COVID appropriations), with a small UGF change. Committee members asked for more detail on what COVID funds supported; Halloran said public health had prioritized lab improvements and data modernization and that most remaining funds are obligated to planned projects.

No formal vote occurred during the briefing; staff noted the division will give further detail when it appears before the subcommittee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee - January 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Health requested $1.65 million for the SHARP recruitment program, reported $139 million in historical COVID funding with $35 million unobligated in public health, and described technical assistance for homelessness data integrations tied to HMIS.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6359094,"Subcommittee hears Senior & Disability Services updates: No Wrong Door, PulseLight data link, InterRAI funding reversal",406,1538230,1944230,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153&start=1538&end=1944","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153/thumbnail_1538230.jpg","/articles/6359094/Alaska/Subcommittee-hears-Senior-Disability-Services-updates-No-Wrong-Door-PulseLight-data-link-InterRAI-funding-reversal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359094-fe8ef00d1740236f32081d3dd544d2f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501002&Signature=f1Qx~aZ7cYklrlQoaei18HysLRb8DPO~C0-rlv~sGuf7J8xR4avvpTkuUM79J29MDQMZhFd2JuLze6iUrhrcPc5Hz8gJKW9c9EzKq5zOXCVvxokWdCKMcNou2bGaHOG3jR~ixUTRpx7VQrw3NlhR~GqCNxXtfv1c4X6QZlJ7yhIIuKglivaaa~SovHYSw-qORbBzvnu-d1Jy3Dq14SV2QQHNLlfosO8Yn2bgKLCSl1EINgobXOynrNwOX053ua6tn3nUIlvhSEh7TXDgd6mNTZkPbRlHVs815wybS9i7-7n~iJkWSXiG7TgVd1PT1MgEXtBgLW7FH-pck3qIfPNRQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Finance Department of Health subcommittee received several operational updates for the Division of Senior and Disability Services on Thursday, including investments in coordinated access and a new data linkage to identify systemic issues.

Deputy Commissioner Emily Ritchie explained the department’s InterRAI assessment tool (referred to in testimony as “inter eye”), an evidence‑based assessment intended to improve person‑directed care and budget allocation for home‑and‑community‑based waiver services. Halloran and Ritchie told the committee that a multiyear appropriation for InterRAI will reverse for FY26 and that the remaining balance will carry forward per the appropriation’s terms.

Ritchie described a $300,000 MTAR (coordinated access) request to support a No Wrong Door approach that trains a network of providers to connect people to home‑ and community‑based services without requiring individuals to repeat their story. The subcommittee heard that the No Wrong Door project is intended to improve access and navigation for long‑term‑services and supports.

The division has also implemented a new system called PulseLight to connect reporting systems (Harmony) with Medicaid claims adjudication to identify patterns that may not surface through incident reporting alone. Ritchie said PulseLight can surface system‑level patterns — for example, multiple residents at a facility experiencing falls shown in claims data even when critical incidents were not reported — enabling earlier intervention.

The division also described recent organizational changes including establishment of a multidisciplinary team to support screeners and staff training. The Senior and Disability Services FY26 budget was presented as just under $73,000,000, a small decrease primarily tied to the reversal of multiyear and one‑time items.

Committee members asked for followup on restoring infant learning program funding and on responses to an ombudsman report; the department said it would provide more detail in division hearings.","Department officials described a $300,000 No Wrong Door coordinated access request, deployment of a PulseLight data tool to better detect assisted-living incidents, and reversal of a multiyear InterRAI assessment appropriation that will affect FY26 accounting.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6359099,"Behavioral health funding shifts: crisis call center RFP and reductions in designated funds",293,1312880,1606500,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153&start=1312&end=1606","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153/thumbnail_1312880.jpg","/articles/6359099/Alaska/Behavioral-health-funding-shifts-crisis-call-center-RFP-and-reductions-in-designated-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359099-31a88ab65ca5f02b496ed47b7947b056/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501002&Signature=hDD09Vk2OZveoVgcH3y~4VJTK9lgjDqOj-mhWnu0w7uUZoNpsFfrzb~XHeIZkjVrYmpNZ9hWJuzBOI3Tf8ke3qtqAxURf1YRMsClmaBd3hO4iWnFpBgDbSc98rLQzwG0STwx6GeEcaE-mPSsPWD8HpSzs66PD7i8qDS0uui3fJUklRFH8RIdGfScv8XXDtcTLUIUeFk6-EX0jBKv4~AccmPVlRnuufkdGDV-VZnzmg9KN1hTScNIY-8UBSqpgPQdD6MNvyatcr9lBZPVi0ZBQkoyqszKWL9Pbde08lu5~QQqzghbacHAUpx6dX1h3R73xv3P0GSB0lhVaZ~SSLJCSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Finance Department of Health subcommittee reviewed behavioral health budget adjustments that include contingency plans for a crisis call center contract and reductions tied to projected revenues.

Assistant Commissioner Pam Halloran described a plan to issue a request for proposals for a crisis call center once an expiring contract and ARPA funding end: Halloran said the center has used terminating funds and that the state needs a new funding source; she described the center’s role as helping connect callers to suicide and crisis resources, referencing 988 and a 1‑877 help line.

Halloran told the subcommittee the behavioral health division is facing an estimated $3,700,000 reduction in designated general fund (DGF) revenue related to Department of Revenue projections. The department tied that reduction to several designated sources, including marijuana education and treatment funds, recidivism reduction funds, alcohol and drug treatment and prevention funds, and tobacco education and cessation funds; Halloran recommended the committee contact the Department of Revenue for more detail on the revenue drivers.

The division also requested increased federal authority to manage a large set of federal awards; Halloran said a $5,000,000 federal authority increment would allow staff to operate across about 20 federal awards without having to hold grants back for authority reasons.

The subcommittee did not approve or reject any request at the hearing; members asked for followup detail from the Department of Revenue on projected designated fund changes.","The Department of Health told the House Finance subcommittee it will issue an RFP for a new crisis call center as ARPA and temporary funds end, and reported a $3.7 million reduction in designated general fund projections affecting behavioral health programs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6359104,"Subcommittee briefed on SB 189 implementation, childcare grants and staffing gaps in public assistance",304,1849800,2154600,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153&start=1849&end=2154","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153/thumbnail_1849800.jpg","/articles/6359104/Alaska/Subcommittee-briefed-on-SB-189-implementation-childcare-grants-and-staffing-gaps-in-public-assistance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359104-9a0b8fdb7aa8447c53aba408e15893c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501002&Signature=XbsXszoih~~AxMovJ5JBSG-vOT7ScIpV-JRNletgBfhAqcJpelJSvBdn1PCXqkk5QWUIZNJViVUx3lX6D0NFenJnruzoNMd4geLN6-4NHql64ffaM6eRgkM-be~PskkEOQoFqp6pRdi5naHATI0lQqc9uL9nnF0RUNaRufHVCmTW2roi5RdTfdsoVa95ETh5a-mvgAkj-yGC9He5-KFUmozePzGaDb2h55FZ4gSkah76jh1AtjOLKC8KQU-9HenyKXh1LGSZoJrE40knMRdVdXa2xBpos97pwucJjLCUY9VJW7ndgU9Cy8lE4IbznpdUP5TZqUA7d-u1GfPuvE7mCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the House Finance Department of Health subcommittee reviewed implementation steps for childcare supports created by last year's legislation and staffing levels in the Division of Public Assistance.

Commissioner Heidi Hedberg and Assistant Commissioner Pam Halloran told the panel the FY26 governor’s budget includes a $6,000,000 increment to fund childcare tax credits authorized in Senate Bill 189. Pam Halloran said the bill creates three program elements: a sliding fee schedule that establishes client co‑pay rates, increased income eligibility criteria, and two new full‑time positions in the Division of Public Assistance to administer the program.

Halloran also reported that a previously appropriated $7,500,000 childcare grant program is moving toward awards: applications closed with a roughly 90% application rate, “and those monies will go out in the next couple weeks,” she said.

On staffing, Commissioner Hedberg reported the Division of Public Assistance had a 21.9% vacancy rate for FY25 and described steps the department has taken to improve recruitment, shorten training and stabilize staffing. Hedberg said the division has applied business process redesign and adult‑learning training models to speed onboarding, but acknowledged turnover and a career‑ladder structure for eligibility technicians can leave an average gap of about 11 months when positions turn over.

Representative Gray and others asked whether the reductions shown in the FY26 management plan would jeopardize progress; department leaders said much of the apparent drop in the division’s FY26 budget reflects the expiration of ARPA and other one‑time or multiyear appropriations rather than a permanent operating cut.

Committee members requested followup on specific questions including whether infant learning program screening and intervention funding could be restored; the department said it would follow up during the senior and disability services division presentation.

No formal votes were taken at the meeting.","The Department of Health said it added $6 million to implement Senate Bill 189 childcare tax credits, will distribute a prior $7.5 million childcare grant award in weeks, and reported a 21.9% vacancy rate in the Division of Public Assistance.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6359109,"Alaska health subcommittee hears redetermination update as Medicaid budget eyed for FY26",636,447640,1084340,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153&start=447&end=1084","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2206843-9768bc465b274d2d4d4731290bae8153/thumbnail_447640.jpg","/articles/6359109/Alaska/Alaska-health-subcommittee-hears-redetermination-update-as-Medicaid-budget-eyed-for-FY26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359109-9d5ef14579ed66583a497fc4f624e35f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501002&Signature=eee22fRz2DxzVcZkk9fPxqPe36rkImx6R0zrR~N118WMsAf94Jqbnk5UpaP-HND-hrpjQWYHfhN6LnMoyZQiLpA0Xu3o3-D2gd4NwIBzOAV04UAA5~6fKOfr~rMyd~fNcSUJ-S0wTDpPSmcXAs-FWN1Plm4adFgOTbIZffY79pPhAlRjXRuGMI90jnaXI0z8HqwH5FszGRjawSEgvhj61Th39Y0mauxTHoM-DP3MUAQLdKNqzvHuBvl055M-DXcUfqlWmK~~rMgEa7myHPWvuBu-R4HMjFuByKdw4CDYtMqR0Jzh5E35IH~IgEHtfEmyfJdy7tssCCi~1W5dCue1oA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alaska House Finance Department of Health subcommittee was updated Thursday on Medicaid redeterminations and early FY26 Medicaid budget projections.

Deputy Commissioner Emily Ritchie, Department of Health, told the subcommittee that the department “finished implementing the initial determination for all Medicaid recipients in September of this year” and that “there's about 17,000 left, and we will finish up with those by the end of March, March 31st.” The committee heard that enrollment figures are still changing: “the last enrollment number I had was in December and there was 246,000 Medicaid enrollees in the program which is about 6,000, 6 to 7,000 less than when we started in March of 2023,” Ritchie said.

Why it matters: redeterminations, reinstatements and ongoing “churn” will affect near‑term enrollment counts and therefore budget projections and state‑federal match calculations. Ritchie told the panel that many disenrollments are procedural and that individuals have a 180‑day window to be reinstated; she warned the subcommittee that “it's going to be, probably at least another 6 to 9 months before we really know what the effect of redetermination was on the overall Medicaid enrollment.”

On budget totals, Assistant Commissioner Pam Halloran and Department staff presented high‑level figures. The department said the FY26 Department of Health budget is “just over $3,500,000,000,” a change the department described as primarily reflecting the end of multiyear and COVID appropriations. The department also told members that the Medicaid appropriation for FY26 is roughly $3.0 billion (presented as “just under $3,000,000,000”), and that a reversal of a multiyear appropriation for the InterRAI assessment tool accounts for a portion of a small change between FY25 and FY26.

The department has delivered Medicaid projections to the Legislature per legislative intent; Halloran told the committee the next Medicaid projections will be delivered on Feb. 19 and will reflect rate changes and other updates.

Committee members pressed the department for context on who is being disenrolled and why. Representative Prox asked whether procedural errors or income changes drove disenrollments; Ritchie said both occur and that procedural reasons—such as the failure to return required forms—account for a substantial share of removals, especially late in the review process. Representative Fields noted health and budget effects of churn and applauded the department’s efforts to reduce it, saying that short‑term savings can lead to higher downstream acute costs.

The department emphasized uncertainty in short‑term enrollment effects and highlighted that while overall enrollee counts may drop, utilization patterns show a concentration of costs: Ritchie said “about 67% of the cost of the Medicaid program accrued to about 10% of the population with those really acute needs,” and the department reported an increase in members with higher acuity.

The subcommittee did not take formal action on Medicaid policy at the meeting; staff and department officials said additional data and the February projection will inform later deliberations.","Deputy Commissioner Emily Ritchie told the House Finance subcommittee the Department of Health has about 17,000 Medicaid redeterminations left and expects to finish them by March 31; department staff also outlined FY26 Medicaid projections and budget drivers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public health briefing: SHARP increase, COVID funds winding down, department provides HMIS technical assistance

Subcommittee hears Senior & Disability Services updates: No Wrong Door, PulseLight data link, InterRAI funding reversal

Behavioral health funding shifts: crisis call center RFP and reductions in designated funds

Subcommittee briefed on SB 189 implementation, childcare grants and staffing gaps in public assistance

Alaska health subcommittee hears redetermination update as Medicaid budget eyed for FY26