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 scannedOct 18, 2026, 12:32 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
Read the 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.