Sen. Lisa Murkowski addresses a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on February 22, 2017. (360 North Photo/Skip Gray)
While many Republican lawmakers are taking an unexpected beating from constituents who are angered by the threat to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski took the middle road.
Murkowski used the congressional recess to make her annual remarks to the Alaska State Legislature last week (2-22-17) , and her position on the ACA — or at least the Medicaid component of the law — was moderate.
“So as long as this legislature wants to keep the expansion, Alaska should have that option. So I will not vote to repeal it.”
Murkowski told legislators that any revision of the ACA produced by the Republican-led congress should retain the more popular features of the current law, like coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Sitka Assembly backs ACA 6-1
The week before Murkowski spoke to the legislature, Sitka’s local government also took a stand on the Affordable Care Act — which is sometimes called Obamacare.
The assembly voted 6-1 to send a resolution in support of the ACA — or in support of any alternative legislation with the same demonstrable benefits.
The only no vote was Steven Eisenbeisz, who thought the assembly was overreaching.
“And I just hope that we continue to realize that we are the local body here, and that we try and stay out of national politics as much as we can. Thank you.”
The resolution was introduced by members Tristan Guevin and Kevin Knox. Guevin argued that it was the assembly’s role to speak collectively for Sitkans on national issues.
“Decisions made at the federal level are having huge impacts on local communities. And I think it is our responsibility as the local government to speak out when things are happening at the state or the federal level are going to adversely impact our city government and our citizens.”
Guevin cited data in the resolution: About 400 Sitkans have signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act each year since 2015. 89-percent of them received subsidies to reduce the cost of their monthly premiums.
Resident Wendy Alderson is one of them.
“As a commercial fishing family we have benefitted from the Affordable Care Act since its inception. It’s been a wonderful thing for us. It’s allowed us to afford a comprehensive plan, and since we are able to take advantage of a subsidy — this last year with our health care costs, we probably would have gone bankrupt.”
Alderson said her family was looking at insurance premiums of around $3,000 a month prior to the ACA.
Medicaid expansion has also had an indirect benefit to the community. Guevin said that Sitka Community Hospital performed roughly $500,000 in so-called “charity care” in each of the five years prior to the Affordable Care Act.
Next year, he said, that amount was expected to be around $30,000.
“We ask ourselves Do we want a community hospital? The Affordable Care Act is one of the things that’s keeping the hospital afloat.”
But the ACA has not been a boon to everyone. Some small employers have been hit hard, so have individuals who don’t qualify for subsidies.
Member Bob Potrzuski said this fact should be acknowledged.
“I’m for health care, and I’m for the ACA, but I think we need to recognize, and at least give a nod to the fact that, though the ACA is benefitting a lot of people, it’s also hurting a lot of people.”
The resolution will be forwarded to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, when that cabinet position is appointed. A copy will also go to Sen. Murkowski and the other members of Alaska’s congressional delegation.
