SB83 would change Alaska's telehealth laws by requiring health insurers to cover certain telehealth services and setting reimbursement rules for those services, including payment-rate standards.
The Alaska State Senate passed SB83 on May 7, 2025 by a vote of 14 to 6. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill expands government control over health insurance by mandating coverage for certain telehealth services and imposing reimbursement rules, including payment-rate standards. Rather than allowing competition and the free market to determine coverage and pricing, it gives the state greater power to regulate private insurance. Such interference increases bureaucracy, raises costs, and extends government into an area that lies outside of its proper role.
