Alaska: Medicaid Bill To Provide Benefits to 42,000 low-income Alaskans Introduced - Alaska Governor Bill Walker (I-AK) today transmitted legislation to provide health care coverage to up to 42,000 low-income Alaskans, reform Medicaid, and bring more money into the state.

“As Alaskans, we have a long tradition of caring for each other when times are tough,” Governor Walker said. “This proposal will save money and save lives. It provides health care for more Alaskans using less state money. It’s the right thing to do.”

The bill will take advantage of available federal resources by accepting an estimated $146 million in federal Medicaid expansion money; and lays out the governor’s plans to reform the state’s Medicaid system to ensure the program is affordable over the long term.

The bill will make health coverage available through Medicaid to Alaskans who earn about $20,314 or less ($9.76 per hour) or married couplies who earn $27,490 or less.

“Governor Walker and I have heard from so many Alaskans about their inability to get the health care they need,” Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson said. “We all have an interest in ensuring that Alaskans are as productive as possible and can contribute to our communities and economy. But people can’t work, hunt, or fish when they are not healthy.” - More...
Tuesday PM - March 17, 2015

Alaska:: Premera Blue Cross Data Breach Investigated By MARY KAUFFMAN - Milberg LLP, a nationally recognized leader in protecting the rights of consumers, including those harmed by data security breaches, announced today that it is investigating potential violations of the federal and state laws by Premera Blue Cross in connection with a massive data breach.

SitNews reported last month that close to 34,000 Alaskans may have been impacted by a sophisticated cyber attack on Anthem, a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

However, not until today did Premera Blue Cross announced their recent discovery that cyberattackers had executed this sophisticated attack attempting to gain unauthorized access to its Information Technology (IT) systems.

According to today's news release, Premera's investigation thus far revealed that the initial attack occurred on May 5, 2014. As part of its investigation, Premera notified the FBI and is coordinating with the Bureau's investigation into this attack. Premera said it has also worked closely with Mandiant, one of the world's leading cybersecurity firms, to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident and to remove the infection created by the attack.

Premera Blue Cross, one of the largest health insurers in the Pacific Northwest, found that hackers had broken into its network in May 2014 and accessed personal data of its customers. Premera Blue Cross did not discover the breach until January 29, 2015.

In a prepared statement, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) responded today to the news that the Premera Blue Cross IT system was hacked into, putting the security of millions of personal records at risk.

Murkowski said, “Today’s news that Premera Blue Cross’ information technology system was the target of a cyberattack is a clear indication that the protections for our private information must not only be sophisticated, they must be constantly improving to meet the ever-evolving nature of cyberattacks." - More...
Tuesday PM - March 17, 2015

Alaska: Ponds are disappearing in the Arctic - Ponds in the Arctic tundra are shrinking and slowly disappearing, according to a new study.

36 years later in August 2012, Christian Andresen, Ph.D., revisits the same pond once sampled by Mac Butler, Ph.D in 1976, but it looks completely different; the pond has become overcome by plant growth.
Photo courtesy of Christian Andresen / UTEP

In a new study by University of Texas at El Paso researchers more than 2,800 Arctic tundra ponds in the northern region of Alaska's Barrow Peninsula were analyzed using historical photos and satellite images taken between 1948 and 2010. Over the 62-year period, the researchers found that the number of ponds in the region had decreased by about 17 percent, while pond size had shrunk by an average of one-third.

"The 17 percent is a very conservative estimate because we didn't consider ponds that had divided, or split into two ponds," explained Christian Andresen, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at UTEP who led the study. "Some ponds are elongated and as they shrink over time, they can be divided into two or more smaller ponds." - More...
Tuesday PM - March 17, 2015

Southeast Alaska: Admiralty Island Subsistence proposal passed by Alaska Fisheries Board - A historic advance for Alaskan subsistence rights was passed in Sitka at the recent Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting held February 23 – March 3. Juneau-based Kootznoowoo said advocates for subsistence rights were encouraged that an immediate and substantial step was taken to balance the subsistence needs of the Southeast Alaska community of Angoon with the commercial interests of Alaska’s seining fleet.

According to Juneau-based Kootznoowoo Incorporated, this has been many years in the making. The community of Angoon has advanced close to a dozen proposals to the Board of Fish. Furthermore, Kootznoowoo, Inc. has petitioned the U.S. Secretary of Interior and the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to extend extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) around the community of Angoon. Kootznoowoo was granted this right as part of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA.) This ETJ would protect wild salmon returns (conservation escapement) and provide more sockeye salmon for subsistence users.

Fom the combined efforts of Kootznoowoo and the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association, a compromise has been found and accepted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries. This proposal will close 4 miles of coastline near Basket Bay (on Chichagof Island) to seine fisheries during the season. Additionally, the waters in front of the community of Angoon will be closed to seine fisheries. However, from the northwest shore of Admiralty Island to Point Hepburn (approximately 40 miles northwest of Angoon) will be opened up to the purse seine fishery on July 17th. On July 21st the waters from Fisher Point to Parker Point will be opened to commercial purse seining. - More...
Tuesday PM - March 17, 2015