How to get help
The Medicaid Services Section is available to help providers with Medicaid-related questions and offer technical assistance with facility waiver requests, billing, rates, or other questions related to the 1115 waiver process:
mpassunit@alaska.gov
(907) 269-3600
Brad.Lentz@alaska.gov
1115 Behavioral Health Medicaid Waiver
Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Waivers provide states with flexibility to test new approaches within Medicaid to aid in redesigning and improving their health systems without increasing costs.
Alaska's 1115 Waiver
In January 2018, Alaska applied to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval of an 1115 behavioral health waiver at the direction of the Alaska Legislature through SB 74. The intent is to create a data-driven, integrated behavioral health system of care for Alaskans experiencing serious mental illness, severe emotional disturbance, substance use disorder (SUD), co-occurring substance use and mental illness, and at-risk families and children.
At the guidance of CMS, the SUD component was broken out separately from the rest of the behavioral health services to move it forward more quickly in response to the growing opioid epidemic. It was approved in November 2018, with the implementation plan receiving approval in March 2019. The behavioral health component received approval in September 2019.
SUD component
Enhanced SUD services began in July 2019 with a phased-in approach to eligible providers. Details about the goals, outcomes and implementation of the program are available in the documents below
Provider and stakeholder engagement
Quick Reference Documents
Section 1115 Waiver Update e-Memos
Look for the “Receive Updates” box at the top of any of these links and enter your email address to become a subscriber to these e-memos.
- State of Alaska - CMS letter to providers - November 17, 2020
- Permanent Medicaid 1115 Behavioral Health Waiver Services Regulations Filed - September 9, 2020
- 1115 SUD and BH Combined Provider Enrollment - May 29, 2020
- 1115 SUD Provider Enrollment - May 29, 2020
- 1115 BH Provider Enrollment - May 29, 2020
- AKAIMS and the 1115 Billing Process - March 12, 2020
- Provider Enrollment Helpful Hints - March 3, 2020
- Provider Enrollment - SUD Provider Type and Taxonomy - Feb. 28, 2020
- Service Authorization Training Update - Feb. 18, 2020
- Service Authorization Training Dates - Feb. 10, 2020
- Service Authorization Helpful Hints - Feb. 7, 2020
- Optum "Go Live" February 1st - Jan. 15, 2020
- Change in 72 Hour Rule - Effective 2/6/2020 - Jan. 13, 2020
- Section 1115 Waiver Update e-Memo Training for 11/19 is POSTPONED – Nov. 18, 2019
- 1115 Waiver & Service Authorization Training – Nov. 12, 2019
- Administrative Services Organization contract with Optum – Nov. 5, 2019
- Denied 1115 Payment Update – Oct. 31, 2019
- Emergency Regulations Update – Oct. 25, 2019
- 1115 Online Training Available for Viewing – Oct. 23, 2019
- Individual Renderer Enrollment: Instructions for Navigating the Enterprise Portlet – Sept. 4, 2019
- Enrollment Site Visits – Aug. 21, 2019
- Fairbanks and Juneau Providers Onsite Reviews - 1115 waiver facility enrollment with Conduent – Aug. 13, 2019
- Face to Face technical assistance training 1115 Waiver Facility and Individual Application and enrollment process - Aug. 8, 2019
- Provisional Provider Application Update – July 19, 2019
- Provider Enrollment Helpful Hints – July 18, 2019
- Provisional Provider Application – July 16, 2019
- Emergency Regulations affecting Medicaid Rates for SFY20 - July 11, 2019
- Notice of Emergency Regulations – July 3, 2019
- Substance Use Disorder Proposed Rates – June 26, 2019
- Instructions for provider call-in sessions - June 25, 2019
- Informational Call-in Opportunities - June 21, 2019
- Facility Waiver Request Forms - June 13, 2019
- Implementation Plan Overview - May 17, 2019
- Emergency Regulations Timeline and Flowchart - May 3, 2019
- Notice of Intent to Award for Administrative Services Organization – April 23, 2019
- Need for National Provider Identifier – April 16, 2019
- Approved Alaska 1115 SUD Waiver Implementation Plan – March 27, 2019
- Continuum of Care/1115 Waiver Taskforce – March 15, 2019
- Section 1115 Waiver Update e-Memo introduction - Feb. 25, 2019
Roundtables: Feedback on the SUD implementation plan from providers across the state was gathered through roundtables. Topics discussed included screening and assessment tools, ASAM standards and training, expanding the use of pharmacotherapy, evidence-based practices, and qualified addiction professionals.
Infrastructure analysis: This project is evaluating regional hubs to determine if there is sufficient local infrastructure to provide the proposed services for each of the populations groups in the 1115 waiver. Service gap analyses are being developed for each region that compares current services to the proposed 1115 services.