A lawmaker and chair of a seafood task force for the US state of Alaska said a proposal to create a health insurance pool for commercial fishermen is being floated to help buoy the beleaguered seafood sector, the Alaska radio station KMXT reports.
Many Alaska harvesters can’t afford private health insurance premiums for themselves and their crew. That's according to press reports citing the trade group United Fishermen of Alaska, which said deductibles range between $10,000 to $15,000 annually for the commercial crew. Some crew members have chosen to forego coverage which critics say leads to hazards and liabilities in the sector.
Commercial harvesters could create a self-insurance pool based on the model used by local governments and school districts, state senator Gary Stevens, a Republican from Kodiak, has suggested. It would be owned and paid for by its membership, making it more affordable.
It's a "pooling process that really has saved a lot of money for the cities and boroughs in Alaska because of getting a lower rate for insurance," Stevens said at a public meeting of elected officials. "So I think we can try to do that for fishermen."
Healthcare in the US is among the most expensive in the world and has long been identified as a barrier to economic development.
Last year Alaska lawmakers passed a bill that raises the maximum reimbursements distributed from a fishermen's fund -- established before statehood -- from $5,000 to $15,000, Undercurrent News reported.
Stevens is also chair of the eight-member Alaska Seafood Task Force working to craft legislation to address downturns in Alaska's seafood economy. It was formed last year to hear from industry and work toward solutions to poor seafood market conditions, environmental factors affecting fisheries and economic barriers for commercial processors and harvesters, as Undercurrent has reported.
The task force is scheduled to meet again, Jan. 9-10, to potentially finalize its recommendations. It's due to deliver its findings when the state legislature reconvenes in Juneau on Jan. 21.
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