Fighting Runaway Health Costs

Healthcare costs are going up in Alaska as they are everywhere but they’re going up faster in Alaska. We have a real crisis. Medicaid expansion that was passed a few years ago has helped many thousands of Alaskans but there is still a big problem. Expansion has brought in billions of additional federal dollars and that has helped our economy. Having people with insurance has also helped our economy. In fact the medical industry has been one of the few growth areas in the economy. We do need to control medical costs and help Alaskans get coverage that is affordable and keep Alaskans healthy. The biggest item in the budget is Health and Social Services and we need keep those costs down. Many bills have been introduced and some have passed towards that goal but it is a very complicated area and needs constant attention.

Closer to home we have a community run hospital that has done very well, especially during the Covid pandemic and continues to need our support. The Interior Delegation of legislators have been working with them to make sure they get the needed assistance during these challenging times.