FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28. 2014, 8:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 ANCHORAGE: The Anchorage NAACP is calling on Alaska's state Division of Insurance to be an aggressive watchdog to hold down insurance rates. After more than 12,000 additional Alaskans signed up for health coverage, it is critical to keep their rates low and prevent insurance companies from unnecessary price hikes. Vigilance is required because the state has allowed health insurance rates to grow at nearly twice the rate of other costs. "The Division of Insurance should use every tool in the toolbox to stop exorbitant insurance rate hikes, including use of federal funding for more robust reviews of proposed insurance rate increases," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice-President of the NAACP, Anchorage. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just closed another round of grant applications that states can use to police insurance rate hikes. CMS has made some $250 million available to states to be more aggressive in pushing back against insurance price increases. According to the Alaska Journal of Commerce, Alaska insurance prices climbed sharply prior to the Affordable Care Act, and Alaskans pay 30% more than the national average for health insurance. The Journal of Commerce also reports that Anchorage health insurance costs grew at twice the rate of other costs during the first decade of the 2000s. Despite the rapid escalation of health costs, Alaskans are less healthy than average. The state must do more to hold down the cost of health care by using consumer protection regulations and grants available from the federal government. ###
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ANCHORAGE: The Anchorage NAACP is raising concerns about a proposal to eliminate the home mortgage deduction as part of the proposed "National Sales Tax." While this used to be a fringe Tea Party proposal, now two out of three GOP Senate candidates have endorsed it and it is a serious threat to Alaska working families. A 30% National Sales Tax would not just raise the cost of consumer goods but also could put home ownership out of many Alaskans' reach. "The National Sales Tax would pull the rug out from under homeowners paying a mortgage, and would make it impossible for many Alaskans to buy a new home," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice President of the Anchorage NAACP. "At a time when rent prices are sky-high, it is unacceptable to make home ownership even less affordable." Press coverage of the National Sales Tax has focused on how it would increase prices of consumer goods and shift the tax burden onto the middle class. However, for homeowners the single largest impact would be elimination of the home mortgage deduction. According to State of Alaska statistics, the National Sales Tax would increase the cost of the average single family home in Alaska by $91,000. That cost would be even higher in Anchorage, Juneau, Nome, and other communities with above-average housing costs. # # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 03. 2014, 9:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 New Study Finds Thousands of Alaskans Lose Medical Care Because of Medicaid Rejection: Medicaid rejection denies care, increases debt, harms Alaska economy ANCHORAGE: A new study by the Council of Economic Advisers shows Alaskans are losing health care, missing out on job opportunities, and becoming more indebted because the Governor rejected Medicaid. The study finds thousands of Alaskans are missing out on mammograms, pap smears, and other doctors visits while Medicaid rejection causes more Alaskans to be in debt as Alaska misses out on new job opportunities. "This new study is a reminder that Medicaid rejection is bad for our state economy, bad for Alaskans' pocketbooks, and harmful to our health," said Kevin McGee, NAACP, Anchorage, 1st Vice President, Chairman, Political Action Committee. As the new economic study shows, Gov. Parnell's decision not to expand Medicaid reduces availability of preventive care while adding to Alaskans' debt burden and reducing the number of jobs in Alaska. Alaska Impacts of Medicaid Denial:
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