Environmental Modification (E-Mod) Home Accessibility Program

Overview

Alaskans who are ill, frail or injured may need a wheelchair ramp or other changes to their home to maintain their independence. If they are eligible for one of Alaska's Medicaid waivers, the state “environmental modification,” or E-Mod service may help pay for accessibility construction projects.

When waiver program recipients need accessibility modifications done to their home, they contact their waiver program care coordinator. The care coordinator assists recipients and guardians with determining what modifications are needed and requests cost estimates from Medicaid certified contractors. Modifications have a cost cap of $18,500 that is renewable every 3 years. Senior & Disabilities Services (SDS) approves all project estimates, and the care coordinator manages the necessary paperwork submissions to SDS. Once projects are finished, the contractor requests reimbursement through Conduent, the company that handles Alaska Medicaid billing. Conduent then pays the contractor the previously authorized costs.

For details, contact Denise Busby, denise.busby@alaska.gov.
Existing or potential providers of EMOD services may contact the Certification Unit at:
907-269-3666 or DSDSCertification@alaska.gov
Regulations governing EMODs can be found at:
7 AAC 130.300. Environmental modification services
EMOD “Request for Cost Estimate” forms are found at:
http://dhss.alaska.gov/dsds/Pages/info/approvedforms.aspx#emod
Additional EMOD information is found under the Conditions of Participation (COPs) in Care Coordination Services and Environmental Modifications at:http://dhss.alaska.gov/dsds/Pages/regulationpackage.aspx

Resources from the Living Well on the Last Frontier Grant

The following resources were developed with support from the Living Well on the Last Frontier grant and include basic information on aspects of home modifications to encourage independence and aging-in-place safely. This project was supported, in part by grant number 90DNIQ0005-01-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201.

The Living Well on the Last Frontier grant was awarded to Alaska as a Project of National Significance by ACL’s Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

The overarching goal of this project is to increase community integration, health, safety, independence, and well-being of individuals with developmental disabilities through realization of our DD vision:

“Alaskans share a vision of a flexible system in which each person directs their own supports, based on their strengths and abilities, toward a meaningful life in their home, their job and their community. Our vision includes supported families, professional staff and services available throughout the state now and into the future.”