Session: State Capitol, Room 518 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-2327 Fax: (907) 465-5241 Interim: 119 N. Cushman St., Suite 201 Fairbanks, AK 99701-2879 Phone: (907) 456-8161 Fax: (907) 451-9293

Sponsor Statement for SB 364
Medicaid Payments For Abortions

An Act relating to medical services under the State Medicaid program.

A majority of Alaskans agree it is inappropriate to use state funds to provide elective abortions. Despite the many efforts of the legislature, however, we have been unable to implement the will of the people. All attempts to bring Alaskan Medicaid funding under standards, which prohibit funding abortions except for rape, incest and life of mother, have been thwarted by the Alaska Supreme Court.

The Alaska Administrative Code defines therapeutic abortion as, "the termination of a pregnancy; certified by a physician as medically necessary to prevent the death or disability of the woman, or to ameliorate a condition harmful to the woman's physical or psychological health." Currently, any form of emotional discomfort a woman may experience from pregnancy could warrant a "medically necessary" termination.

SB 364 defines medically necessary broadly enough to cover those situations where an abortion is medically necessary yet narrowly enough to prevent fraud or abuse. This definition ensures that funds appropriated to provide health care to indigent Alaskans are used for that purpose and not to fund abortions on demand.

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