Voices of Alaska: Everyone must be heard in health care reform process

  • By Sen. Lisa Murkowski
  • Monday, September 4, 2017 8:48pm
  • Opinion

When Republicans assumed the majority in the Senate in January 2015, we pledged to return to “regular order,” governing openly, processing bills through committee, and opening the floor debate to members of both parties. Committee work takes time and floor debates can appear confusing, but they give the public a chance to contribute and allow input from all members in developing policy. Leader Mitch McConnell led us through a productive process that resulted in bipartisan achievements like the first multi-year highway bill in nearly a decade, the repeal of No Child Left Behind, the establishment of a more state-centered system for K-12 education, and comprehensive legislation addressing the opioid epidemic. By relying on good process, we began governing again.

There are 100 members in the Senate, each reflecting the diversity and complexity of our Nation. In addressing health care, an intensely personal issue to all Americans and one with significant impact on our nation’s economy, it’s imperative that everyone is heard. This is why I consistently advocated for regular order while the Senate health care proposals were being drafted so ideas from both parties could be considered and thoroughly examined.

That open process is beginning. The Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold hearings this week and as a member of that committee, I will be deeply engaged through the process. I appreciate that Chairman Lamar Alexander is taking the extra step of opening the process to Senators outside of the committee for complete inclusivity. And Alaska’s voice will be heard as our state’s Director of Insurance, Lori Wing-Heier, will testify on September 6th about Alaska’s experience, our 1332 waiver, and the need for market stability which is expected to help reduce premiums by over 20 percent in 2018.

The immediate focus of the HELP Committee’s efforts will be to stabilize and strengthen the individual market, including funding cost-share reductions and helping the most vulnerable gain access to affordable coverage and care. We will also examine how to provide more flexibility to states to find solutions that work on a local level. These two measures are designed to prevent immense price increases that would surely take place in their absence. We must also evaluate the efficacy of mandates that have severely impacted small businesses and workers.

The Senate must also work toward long-term solutions. The President and I agree that the status quo with health care in the country is not acceptable, that fixing it will be complicated, and it will take time and hard work by us all. In Alaska, we have just one insurance provider on our individual market. Other parts of the country may have more providers, but even in those areas, premiums continue to rise. Many with insurance can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs that render their coverage practically worthless. However, we must not forget that many Alaskans now have coverage they did not prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As Republicans, we need to acknowledge the beneficial provisions of the ACA while working to build on them. Likewise, Democrats need to acknowledge the ACA’s drawbacks while helping to repair things that are truly faulty and harmful.

If we want to lower insurance costs, we must address the underlying problem of the high cost of care. I stand ready and willing to work with all members of the Senate to achieve this goal. One approach may be to allow Americans to buy cheaper prescriptions from Canada, as Senator Bernie Sanders has advocated. Senator Ted Cruz and I are also exploring several proposals, such as expanding access to Health Savings Accounts for a broader range of health expenses, including for paying insurance premiums. We have also discussed the need for greater price transparency so patients can shop for care like any other service and allowing for cheaper plans to be sold on the exchange.

These are only a few ideas and our hard work has laid a strong foundation from which to build. I am convinced that by returning to regular order we can find a bipartisan solution of enduring policy that lives beyond this Congress. Members of Congress, private industry, non-profits, and stakeholders alike all have good ideas. With the committee process, we can unite to find policies that provide the choice, control, affordability, and quality of care all Americans need and deserve.

Lisa Murkowski represents Alaska in the United States Senate.

More in Opinion

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Long-time friends are more important than ever to help us cope, to remind us we are not alone and that others feel the same way.

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.