INSURANCE; REBATES; ADVERTISING
Sponsored By: SENATE LABOR & COMMERCE
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Broader health coverage for artificial limbs
Alaska individual and group health plans issued, delivered, or renewed starting January 1, 2027, must cover artificial limbs and braces. Coverage must at least match Medicare standards. It includes a provider-selected device and one additional needed device for daily, work, physical-activity, and health needs. Plans must also cover related parts, materials, instructions, and needed repairs or replacements without continuous-use or lifetime limits. Replacement is required when repairs cost more than 60% of replacement; devices or parts under three years may require provider confirmation. Plans must offer at least two distinct in-network prosthetics providers and arrange outside care when required network access is unavailable. Outside providers receive an agreed rate, minus the patient's in-network cost sharing. Cost sharing cannot be stricter than for inpatient physician and surgical care. Plans must classify benefits as habilitative or rehabilitative as needed and cannot deny comparable care because a person has a disability. Plans must disclose these rights and explain medical-necessity denials in writing.
Insurance customers can receive gifts without buying
Starting January 1, 2027, Alaska insurers and insurance sellers can offer noncash gifts, including meals and charitable donations. Offers must be nondiscriminatory and cannot require buying, keeping, or renewing a policy. Individual gifts must stay within a cost the insurance director considers reasonable for each policy-year term. Business and institutional gifts must be reasonable relative to premiums, and their costs cannot be charged to others. State-law-permitted raffles must be public, nondiscriminatory, free to enter, and require no insurance purchase, with director-approved reasonable prize limits.
Low-cost extra services for insurance customers
Starting January 1, 2027, Alaska insurers and insurance sellers can offer qualifying insurance-related services free or at reduced cost. Services must mainly support permitted risk, health, financial-wellness, post-loss, or benefit-administration purposes. Their total cost per policy term cannot exceed the greater of $250 or 5% of the applicable premium. Costs must be reasonable for the premium or coverage, and offers must use documented, objective criteria without unfair discrimination. Offers cannot require a purchase or target only people acting for others under group policies. Good-faith test programs can run up to three years after advance notice, unless the insurance director objects within 21 days.
Optional Medicaid coverage for artificial limbs
The law adds specified artificial limbs, braces, and replacements to Alaska Medicaid's optional services, subject to a federal approval condition. Federal health officials must approve the state-plan change or find approval unnecessary on or before January 1, 2029. The change takes effect the day after that approval or finding. Alaska Medicaid is not required to offer these services.
Insurance sales protections and tighter rebate limits
Starting January 1, 2027, Alaska insurers, insurance sellers, and their representatives cannot offer insurance to encourage buying another policy. Ads cannot describe insurance coverage as “free,” “no cost,” or similar terms. Rebate limits expressly cover insurance sellers, alongside property, casualty, and surety insurers and their employees or representatives. They restrict discounts, premium reductions, special favors, and other offers outside the policy, including offers made after coverage starts. Offers listed in an applicable filing with the insurance director remain excepted, along with the law's permitted offers.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
SENATE LABOR & COMMERCE
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
(H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --
5/19/2026House(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
5/19/2026House(H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to 9:00 am --
5/19/2026House(H) FINANCE at 08:00 AM ADAMS 519
5/19/2026House(H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Recessed to a Call of the Chair --
5/18/2026House(H) FINANCE at 06:00 PM ADAMS 519
5/18/2026House(H) -- Public Testimony -- -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --
5/18/2026House(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
5/18/2026House(H) -- Public Testimony -- -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --
5/18/2026House(H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519
5/18/2026House(H) REFERRED TO FINANCE
4/29/2026House(H) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER L&C
4/29/2026House(H) FN3: (CED)
4/27/2026House(H) NR: CARRICK, SADDLER, D.NELSON
4/27/2026House(H) DP: FRIER, HALL, FIELDS
4/27/2026House(H) PENDING TITLE CHANGE HCR
4/27/2026House(H) L&C RPT HCS(L&C) NEW TITLE 3DP 3NR
4/27/2026House(H) Moved HCS CSSB 185(L&C) Out of Committee
4/24/2026House(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
4/24/2026HouseAudio/Video
4/24/2026House(H) Heard & Held
4/20/2026House(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
4/20/2026HouseAudio/Video
4/20/2026House(H) L&C
4/8/2026House(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
4/8/2026House
Bill Text
HCS CSSB 185(L&C)
4/27/2026
CSSB 185(L&C)
3/23/2026
SB 185
4/25/2025