Annie Feidt, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Annie Feidt is the broadcast managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at afeidt@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annie here.
Doctors Hope To ‘Reset’ Healthcare Model In Alaska
A group of doctors in Anchorage hopes to do a better job caring for some of the sickest patients in the city. It may cost more money initially, but in the long run, the goal is also to save health care dollars. The new group is called Alaska Innovative Medicine and the idea is based on a kidney dialysis clinic.
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State Hires Project Lead for Medicaid Expansion
The Department of Health and Social Services has created a new position to help the state work toward the goal of expanding Medicaid. The job is “Medicaid expansion project director” and it's being filled by Chris Ashenbrenner, who spent two decades working for the department and came out of retirement to take on this challenge.
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NOAA Proposes Critical Habitat For Ringed Seals
A federal agency has proposed about 350,000 square miles of ocean off Alaska's north and west coasts as critical habitat for the seal that's the main prey of polar bears.
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Parnell to Walker: Use Guard Bureau Reform Recommendations
Gov. Sean Parnell says he doesn't know what's next for him, but he expects to keep working on the issues his administration prioritized.
Gov.-Elect Walker Wants To Expand Medicaid. Can It Happen?
On the campaign trail, Bill Walker made expanding the state's Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act one of his top priorities. And he's confident he could make the decision without input from the state legislature.
"It’s up to the Governor to accept that."
But when Walker takes office next month, will it really be so easy to expand a program that has been a tough sell in other conservative states?
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Alaska News Nightly: November 17, 2014
Begich Concedes; Walker Transition Formally Begins; Marijuana Businesses Face Special Burdens; Lights Return to Tuluksak; Deep Decline in Polar Bears Reported; Virus Could Be Killing Pacific Starfish; Military Training In Alaska; Feds Uphold Wishbone Hill Permits
Healthcare.gov Has Smooth Launch in Alaska
Healthcare.gov was working smoothly in Alaska this weekend for the start of open enrollment. Enroll Alaska reported Friday that the site was miscalculating the subsidy amounts for Alaskans looking for health insurance in "window shopping" mode. But the company said it had signed up 40 people on Saturday- the first day the site was live- with no apparent problems.
Healthcare.gov Miscalculates Subsidies In Alaska
November 15th marks the start of the second open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, when individuals can sign up for coverage on healthcare.gov. But even before it opens for business, there are signs the website isn't working correctly for Alaskans.
Health Insurers Look Ahead To Open Enrollment Period
The three month open enrollment period for the federal health care exchange begins this Saturday, November 15th. The two insurers offering plans on healthcare.gov in Alaska have very different projections on how many more Alaskans will sign up for coverage for 2015.
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AK: High Tech Surgery
Surgeons these days have a lot of futuristic tools at their disposal in the operating room. They use robots, high definition cameras and special dyes to help them complete complicated procedures. And you don't have to travel to big cities in the Lower 48 to find the most up to date operating room technology.
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Medicaid Reform Group Hears Passionate Testimony On Proposed Cuts
The State's Medicaid Reform Advisory Group has met for the last six months in relative obscurity. That changed today (Wednesday) when more than 200 parents, doctors and physical therapists showed up to testify about a list of proposed "innovations" the group hopes will help curtail the growing cost of program. The message the group heard was that the reforms would have huge impacts on the people who rely on Medicaid for health services.
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Gubernatorial Candidates Square Off Over Medicaid Expansion
When Alaskans vote for governor on Nov. 4, they’ll also be deciding the fate of Medicaid expansion in the state. Incumbent Governor Sean Parnell has said he won’t expand the federal health insurance program under the Affordable Care Act. But his opponent, Independent candidate Bill Walker says if elected, he will immediately accept the federal money.
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Ebola Spreads to US; Risk to Alaska Deemed Low
Federal health officials announced today that the first case of Ebola has been diagnosed in the U.S. in Texas. The patient, who traveled from Liberia, is being treated in isolation at a hospital in Dallas. Public health officials in Alaska are prepared to respond if Ebola arrives in the state.
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Insurer Thinks Affordable Care Act Needs Fix In Alaska
The open enrollment period for signing up for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act begins November 15th. Customers in Alaska who don't receive subsidies will have to pay dramatically higher rates for next year's coverage. And one insurer on the exchange- Premera Alaska, says the state needs to implement a new program to ensure future rate increases aren't as steep.
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Medicaid Reform
Alaska will spend more than $700 million on Medicaid this year. State officials say Medicaid costs are increasing at an unsustainable rate. What would reforming the program look like to keep costs under control?
APRN: Tuesday, 9/30 at 10:00am
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Seismologist: Quake’s Depth Helped Minimize Damage
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Southcentral Alaska at 9:51 this morning. Michael West directs the Alaska Earthquake Center in Fairbanks. He says the epicenter was about 60 miles Northwest of Anchorage and 60 miles underground.
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Huge Increase For Healthcare.gov Insurance Rates In Alaska
Alaskans who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace will see a significant rate hike for next year. The state Division of Insurance says consumers can expect to pay an increase of more than 30 percent on average for coverage.
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General Katkus Resigns As Report Details Guard’s Failure In Addressing Sexual Assault
An investigation released Thursday details a long list of failures in how the Alaska National Guard handles reports of sexual assault and other matters. In response to the findings, Governor Sean Parnell asked for the resignation of National Guard Major General Thomas Katkus, effective immediately.
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Alaska Natives Wait… And Wait, For Health Law Exemption
Most Americans are supposed to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. But up to 50,000 Alaska Natives and American Indians in Alaska are excused from the requirement. They have to apply for that lifetime exemption though. And the federal government is mishandling many of those applications.
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Federal Requirements Burden Small Medical Practices In Alaska
EHR, ICD-10 and PQRS may sound like alphabet soup to you. But most doctors around the country know exactly what those acronyms stand for. They are programs championed by the federal government to improve quality and bring medicine into the electronic age. But in Alaska, where small medical practices are the norm, the new requirements can be a heavy burden.
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