New subcommittee focusing on Medicaid reform

Sen. Anna MacKinnon participates in a discussion during a Senate Resources Committee meeting, Feb. 5, 2014. (Photo by Skip Gray/Gavel Alaska)
Sen. Anna MacKinnon participates in a discussion during a Senate Resources Committee meeting, Feb. 5, 2014. (Photo by Skip Gray/Gavel Alaska)

The Senate Fiance Committee is creating a new subcommittee to look at Medicaid reform. Senator Anna MacKinnon, a Republican from Eagle River, will chair the subcommittee. She says the other members will be announced Wednesday morning.

MacKinnnon says the subcommittee will review Medicaid reform bills from Senator Pete Kelly, a Republican from Fairbanks and from the Walker administration.

She says members will focus on finding Medicaid cost drivers to bend the curve on spending.

“I’m trying to focus right now at least on how do we save money in a system that is the largest cost driver in the state when we’re facing a 4 billion dollar budget deficit,” MacKinnon said.

The Medicaid program costs the state more than $600 million a year.

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Annie Feidt is the broadcast managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atafeidt@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anniehere

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