State Planning Grant

DHSS State of Alaska

Health and Social Services > Public Health > Health Planning and Systems Development > State Planning Grant

Alaska’s State Planning Grant to Identify Options for Expanding Coverage for Alaska's Uninsured

About the State Planning Grant

US Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) “State Planning Grant” funds were awarded to Alaska for September 2005 – August 2006 with a no-cost extension granted through August 2007 for supporting in-depth studies of policy options (including costs and benefits, political ramifications, and results from other state’s initiatives) and research into who and what groups in the state are uninsured and why.

The project goals in Alaska were to do necessary data gathering to provide insight into the complexities of health insurance coverage, and to identify options for making affordable health insurance available to Alaskans currently uninsured. Collaboration with stakeholders and with partners within state government were considered critical to success. Related presentations include:

Activities include:

Household survey (covering all household members, using BRFSS sample design), was conducted by the Survey Lab of the Division of Public Health through an interagency agreement.
- Household Survey Form
- Results of Household Survey Reported to Health Summit December 5, 2007
- Data Brief on Household Survey (coming soon)
Employer survey (stratified sample by size of firm), was conducted by Department of Labor and Workforce Analysis Research and Analysis Branch through an interagency agreement.
Focus group work with populations of concern – minority populations, seasonal occupations, part time workers, low income working families, etc. (with University of Alaska Institute for Social and Economic Research). An important topic for focus groups is the concept of “health insurance coverage” since the perceptions and values associated with insurance vs. access are expected to be diverse
- Final Report: Understanding Barriers to Health Insurance of Uninsured and Sporadically Insured Alaskans
  - Table of Contents (pdf, 94 kb)
  - Report Contents (pdf, 424 kb)
  - Appendices (pdf, 1mb)
- Results of Focus Groups Reported to Health Summit December 5, 2007, Virgene Hanna, UAA ISER
- Understanding Barriers to Health Insurance of Uninsured and Sporadically Insured Alaskans
Forum discussions of options to recommend for consideration and action, with presentations of relevant preliminary cost analyses.
- Results of Forums Reported to Health Summit December 5, 2007
Key informant interviews with business roundtable members, Alaska Native Tribal health care providers, military and VA, minority advocates, non-profit organizations, small firm employers, policy analysts, and others being identified.
- Final Report: Key Informant Interviews – Assessing the high rate of Alaskans without Health Insurance (pdf, 946 kb)
- Results of Key Informant Interviews Reported to Health Summit December 5, 2007
Analysis of existing survey, administrative and demographic data including Census 2000 socio-economic and occupational data, County Business Patterns, Current Population Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2004 National Survey of Children’s Health Alaska sample, Medicaid and Medicare enrollment and utilization data, Uniform Data Set information from community health centers, Alaska Hospital Discharge Data on payment sources and patients without coverage, and possibly RPMS data from the Indian health Service, to identify trends and patterns in coverage and characteristics. Participation in SHADAC conference calls is included.
Economic analysis of trends and impacts of the uninsured on Alaska’s health care costs and cost-shifting
- An Overview of the Health Care Systems of Alaska's Northern Neighbors Reported to Health Summit December 5, 2007
Actuarial analysis of options considered for recommendation
Dissemination of information to stakeholders about the data gathering and research projects, and about initiatives in other states and research and demonstrations.
Engagement of stakeholders in all stages of the exploration of the data and alternative strategies.

Projected results in relation to goals of the project include:

Statutory and regulatory changes that may be recommended.
Clearer picture of state of health insurance coverage, barriers, gaps, and perceptions (knowledge base for Medicaid program and state policy makers).
Baseline data for evaluation of strategies.
Increased awareness and consensus about potential solutions, strategies, models, agreed-upon principles for action and for decision-making.