Walker urges stakeholder input on health care decisions

Gov. Bill Walker has joined governors of nine other states in urging Congress to institute a comprehensive process for addressing health care and to include states and other stakeholders’ input before making final decisions.

“Alaskans pay more for health care than do most Americans,” Walker said. “Before any changes to existing law are made, Alaska must have a clear understanding of how the proposed changes impact Alaskans. Right now, more than 36,000 Alaskans have access to affordable health care thanks to Medicaid expansion. And due to my team’s out-of-the-box thinking and the Legislature’s concurrence, some Alaskans’ health insurance premiums are expected to drop 20 percent.

“That coverage must be protected, which is why I joined a bipartisan group of governors in a continued push for Congress to follow a thorough process. Health care should not be a partisan issue,” he said.

This is the second health care letter from a bipartisan governors group that Walker has joined.

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