FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

What a week!  My staff and I were really busy this week with our guest speaker, award winning writer and sexual abuse survivor Alaskan David Holthouse, who was in town to advocate for passage of Erin’s Law.  Stay tuned for a special edition of Tarr’s Times where I’ll tell you all about the great response from his visit and the work we’ve been doing to keep our kids safe.  This week, I want to expand on last week’s report on Medicaid and include announcements and information on a few upcoming events to share.

Medicaid Expansion

Now that the Governor has released the new report on Medicaid Expansion we know for sure that one definitive cost saver and economic driver is accepting federal funds to expand the State’s Medicaid program.  Early on, Governor Walker made Medicaid expansion a priority. Organizations like the Alaska State and Anchorage Chambers of Commerce, United Way, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association all support Medicaid expansion.

Expanding Medicaid will increase access to health insurance for an estimated 41,910 low-income Alaskans. Those in the expansion population include individuals who are not currently offered affordable health insurance coverage by their employer, may not be eligible for subsidized plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace, and cannot afford to purchase an individual health insurance plan on their own.

Under expansion, the federal government will pay Alaska 100% of the health care expenses associated with the newly covered population for calendar years 2015 and 2016. The federal government will then transition its match over several years to 90% of health care expenses for the new population. Studies project that over the next seven years, Medicaid expansion in Alaska would likely yield:

• $1.1 billion in new federal revenue for Alaska
• 4,000 new jobs
• $1.2 billion more in wages and salaries paid to Alaskans
• $2.49 billion in increased economic activity throughout the state

State general fund savings are projected to be $6.1 million in fiscal year 2016 and increase in the years following. This is because the state will be able to offset costs of expansion by reducing or eliminating general fund contributions to programs that provide health care to the newly eligible people including the Chronic Acute Medical Assistance program, health care for incarcerated individuals, and behavioral health services.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Visit the Identity website to learn more:  http://identityinc.org/

AARP LGBT Survey

Help make history in Alaska by taking part in a survey designed to gather demographic information as well as qualitative data that will describe how older LGBT adults use senior programs, access health care, and relate to the senior community at large.
The survey is simple and can be completed online in less than 10 minutes. It is completely anonymous with no possibility of personal identification. If you are 50+, please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Click here to take the survey.

Free Tax Prep in Anchorage

The AARP Foundation Tax Aide program offers absolutely free tax preparation services.  Between now and April 15th, the tax filing deadline, Anchorage residents can drop in to any of the nine sites on the days they are open, sit with a tax counselor and get their taxes electronically filed, including direct deposit of their refund and it is totally free. There is no income or age limit, one need not be an AARP member to use this service.

Tax counselors are IRS certified and able to file most returns (exceptions are returns containing rental income, self-employment with more than $10,000 in expenses and returns with complicated or lengthy stock position due to time limitations). Attached is a flyer with the times and locations. 
 
 CLICK HERE to read the flyer about the services. 

Anchorage Transportation Fair was a Success

Hundreds attended the Anchorage Transportation Fair to learn about transportation-related projects that are happening in our neighborhoods and around our city.  Check out the Transportation Fair Blog to see all of the presentations and projects that were discussed at the Fair.  Check out the Anchorage Transportation Fair on the web at. anchoragetranspofair.blogspot.com/p/home.html

UPCOMING EVENTS

Anchorage Caucus & Town Hall Meeting About Marijuana Taxation and Regulation

The Anchorage Assembly Committee on the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana is holding its first Town Hall Meeting to seek input from the community about legalized cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, possession and use of marijuana within Anchorage. 

This open meeting is being held Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at the Loussac Library in the Assembly Chambers, 3600 Denali Street. The community is encouraged to attend.

Following the meeting the Anchorage Caucus will meet in the same location from 1:00-5:00 pm.  The Anchorage Caucus is when all Anchorage legislators are in town and it’s a chance to advocate for legislation or budget priorities.  I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Representative Geran Tarr