Killed a play-or-pay healthcare proposal for Alaska

Killed a play-or-pay healthcare proposal for Alaska

Senate Bill 61 would have forced small business owners to either provide healthcare for their employees or pay into a state fund that would be used to provide medical coverage – play or pay. Had it become law, employers would be required to provide at least a mandated set of benefits, covering a minimum of 25 percent of employees and paying at least 33 percent of the premium. Employers who do not meet the requirements would have been taxed a percentage of their gross payroll. SB 61 also called for the creation The Alaska Health Care Board to set approved benefits, deductibles, and copay levels. Senate Bill 61 is still alive; it was only killed for this year. A measure similar to SB 61 made it out of two committees, before NFIB and others were able to kill it in the Finance Committee. Please see the AK Issues link to the left for more information.