This amendment requires health insurers in Alaska to pay doctors at least as much for telehealth visits as they do for in-person appointments.
Alaska2026Passed Legislature
HB14
Health Insurance and Firefighter Benefits Changes
Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 12:25 AM
In one sentence
This law requires health insurers to pay the same rate for telehealth as in-person visits, creates disease presumptions for firefighters with specific service records, repeals two medical assistance programs, and updates rules for public employee insurance.
What it does
- Requires health care insurers to reimburse providers at least the same rate for telehealth services as they do for comparable in-person services.
- Creates a legal presumption that certain diseases are work-related for firefighters who have served at least seven years and passed required medical exams.
- Repeals programs that provided financial assistance for catastrophic illnesses and chronic or acute medical conditions.
- Applies the new telehealth payment rules to health insurance plans offered by cities and towns in Alaska.
- Updates provisions regarding group insurance policies available under the public employees' retirement system.
Who it affects
- Health care insurers operating in Alaska
- Active and former firefighters who meet specific service requirements
- Municipalities that offer health insurance to their employees
- State employees participating in group insurance programs
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not specify exact dollar amounts for insurance reimbursements.
- Firefighters must have served at least seven years and passed medical exams before a disease appears to qualify for benefits.
- For cancer claims, firefighters must demonstrate exposure to a known carcinogen associated with the disabling cancer.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Telehealth
- Health care services provided remotely, including behavioral health services.
- Presumption of disability
- A legal rule that assumes a firefighter's disease was caused by their job unless proven otherwise.
- Carcinogen
- Any substance or agent known to cause cancer, as defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer or the National Toxicology Program.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
MED ASSIST;INSURANCE;DISABILITY/WORK COMP An Act relating to health care insurance; relating to insurance reimbursement for health care services provided through telehealth; relating to telehealth; relating to workers' compensation coverage for disability from diseases for certain firefighters; repealing programs for catastrophic illness assistance and medical assistance for chronic and acute medical conditions; relating to occupational disability benefits and medical benefits available under the public employees' retirement system; providing for an effective date by amending the effective date of secs. 9 and 10, ch. 38, SLA 2022; and providing for an effective date.
Official activity
Bill history
- (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER3177
- (H) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 7/13 CH 57 SLA 263177
- (H) 2:00 P.M. 6/25/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR3169
- (H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)3054
- (S) ENGROSSED2957
- (H) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 363003
- (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE3002
- (H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y39 N13002
- (H) CONCUR MESSAGE TAKEN UP3002
- (H) CONCUR MESSAGE RECEIVED3001
- (S) VERSION: HB 14 AM S(EFD ADD S)2903
- (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDED2903
- (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE2901
- (S) PASSED Y19 N12901
- (S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READING2901
- (S) AM NO 3 ADOPTED UC2900
- (S) AM NO 2 NOT OFFERED2896
- (S) AM NO 1 ADOPTED Y14 N62896
- (S) RETURN TO SECOND FOR AMS UC2890
- (S) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 142890
Changes
Amendments
3 stored
AM NO 2 NOT OFFERED 2896
This amendment changes the law to give firefighters a legal presumption that certain diseases are work-related and increases disability pay and medical benefits for public employees.