Medicaid FAQ Sheets

Table of Contents 

• What Is Medicaid?
• What Healthcare Does Medicaid Cover?
• How Much Does Medicaid Cost?
• How to Qualify for Medicaid in Alaska
• How to Apply for Medicaid in Alaska
• How to Make Changes to Your Application
• How to Check Your Application Status
• What Happens After You Apply for Medicaid?
• How to Appeal a Denial of Benefits
• What Happens to My Medicaid If I Move?
• Need More Help?
• View or Download Our Free Guide

What Is Medicaid?

Medicaid is a federal U.S. health insurance program that provides health coverage to millions of Americans. The program primarily covers low income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.

Federal guidelines for the Medicaid program are established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Learn more about Medicaid at a national level on the CMS website here.

The Alaska Medicaid program is administered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Learn more about Medicaid in Alaska on the Department of Health and Social Services website here.

What Healthcare Does Medicaid Cover?

Through Medicaid, people gain access to health care services that may not be affordable without it. Additionally, some programs and benefits include special protections—such as provider networks and payment methods—that help ensure services are accessible. Medicaid also provides preventive care and other services to help people stay healthy and avoid costlier care.

Medicaid covers medical and health care services such as:

• Doctors visits
• Vision and dental care
• Family planning services
• Preventive health education
• Hearing services
• Home healthcare
• Hospice and hospital care (inpatient and outpatient)
• Maternity services
• Mental healthcare
• Nurse midwife services
• Nursing home services
• Prescription drugs
• Renal dialysis
• Transplants
• Transportation services

*Additional services, such as nursing homes or personal care services, may be available to those who have special needs.

Medicaid does not cover the following types of medical services:

• Cosmetic procedures or surgeries
• Certain dental services like braces and gold caps
• Unnecessary hospital expenses, like TV rentals or meals for guests
• Infertility services or treatments
• Recreational therapy
• Experimental treatments, supplies, equipment or drugs
• Sitter services
• Any services not covered under the State Plan for Medical Assistance

Learn more about medical and health care services that are covered by Medicaid in Alaska on the Department of Health and Social Services page here.

How Much Does Medicaid Cost?

Medicaid recipients in Alaska may need to pay a monthly premium, which is a monthly fee for enrollment in the program. Premiums range from $0 to $15. Premium amounts are based on the recipient’s annual income.

Recipients may sometimes need to pay a small out-of-pocket cost for treatments, which are known as copayments. Copayment amounts depend on the recipient’s age, household income and what the state pays for the specific service. There is a limit to the amount you can pay in copayments each month.

Services that require copayments include the following:

• $50 a day up to a maximum of $200 per discharge for inpatient hospital services
• $3 for each visit to a health care provider or clinic
• 5 percent of the allowed amount for outpatient hospital services (except emergency services)
• $.50 or $3.50 for each prescription drug that is filled or refilled, depending on the cost of the drug.

Each Medicaid participant through the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has their own individual health care plan. Some participants may be required to pay fees, and some recipients may not be required to pay fees, i.e., are exempt.

Medicaid participants who fall into one of the below categories are exempt from copayment fees:

• Children under the age of 18
• Pregnant women
• Tribal health services provided to an individual who is American Indian or Alaska Native
• Services provided to an individual who is eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid if Medicare is the primary payer for the service
• People in nursing homes
• Family planning services and supplies
• Emergency services
• Hospice care
• CAMA recipients

To learn more about Medicaid premiums, click here. Learn more about Medicaid copayments in the Alaska Medicaid Recipient Handbook here on page 23.

How to Qualify for Medicaid in Alaska

To qualify for Medicaid in Alaska, you must meet all of the following:

• Be a resident of Alaska
• Be a U.S. citizen or have a qualifying immigration status
• Meet the Medicaid program’s income limits

Income limits vary depending on household size, medical status and other factors and are subject to change annually. Find the current Medicaid income limits based on household size in Alaska here.

Learn what documents you can submit to prove your citizenship and identity here.

Find further information on Alaska Medicaid eligibility here.

How to Apply for Medicaid in Alaska

To apply for Medicaid in Alaska, complete the following three steps:

1. Review the application requirements and gather documentation related to your health, medical condition and household. 

Learn what documents you need here.

2. Choose how you are going to apply, whether online, by mail, in person, or by fax.

To apply for Medicaid online, click here to access Alaska’s Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services (ARIES) Self-Service Portal. Or, click here to apply through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace.

To apply for Medicaid by mail, click here to access the application form, fill it out, and mail it with the necessary documents to your nearest Alaska Public Assistance Office.

To apply for Medicaid in person, click here to find your nearest Public Assistance Office. You may also ask an Alaska fee agent to submit your application for you. Click here for a list of Alaska fee agents.

To apply for Medicaid by fax, click here to access the application form, fill it out, and fax it with the necessary documents to your nearest Alaska Public Assistance Office.

3. Submit your application and complete the Medicaid interview.

If you apply in person, you will complete an interview at the time of your application submission to verify your eligibility for the program.

If you apply online, by mail, by phone, by fax or by email, you will complete the interview over the phone.

If you have questions about the application process, if you need help applying to Medicaid, or for any other questions, call the Alaska Medicaid Recipient toll-free customer service number at (800) 780-9972.

Or, contact your nearest local Alaska Public Assistance Office. Find contact information for local public assistance offices in Alaska here or refer to the list below.

How to Make Changes to Your Application

Alaska Medicaid recipients must report changes that can influence their eligibility status, including:

• Income changes
• A new address
• A change in their child care provider
• Family changes (new baby, new household resident, death, etc.)
• Changes to working hours
• Marital status changes
• Changes to medical expenses
• Insurance changes
• A withdrawal of an application

Update your information by completing the appropriate change request form. You can find a change report form here.

Once you have filled out the form, you can submit the request by mail, by fax or in person at a local Alaska Medicaid Office. Find contact information for local Medicaid field offices in Alaska here.

How to Check Your Application Status

You can check the status of your Medicaid application online or by phone:

• Log into your account through the ARIES Self-Service Portal here.
• Call the toll-free customer service number at (800) 780-9972.

What Happens After You Apply for Medicaid?

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will review your application to verify if you are eligible for Medicaid. In some cases, the state may ask for additional information before approving your application. Alaska will mail applicants a letter detailing if their Medicaid application was approved or denied.

It may take up to 30 days to process a Medicaid application. If you are approved, you will receive a Medicaid identification card within several weeks of when you receive your approval notification.

How to Appeal a Denial of Benefits

Medicaid applications will be denied when applicants do not meet the eligibility requirements. Also, beneficiaries can have their benefits terminated or reduced if their eligibility status changes while they are enrolled.

If your Medicaid application is denied or the amount of your benefits is reduced, you have the right to file an appeal. You must send a written appeal request by the date printed on the notice of the denial or benefits reduction.

You can submit your written appeal request to your local Division of Public Assistance. If your denial is related to medical services or billing, you may submit your written appeal request by mail to:

Conduent State Healthcare
Attn: Fair Hearings
P.O. Box 240808
Anchorage, AK 99524

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will review your claim and may ask for additional information or evidence of your eligibility.

If you are granted a hearing, you will receive a notice with the date, time and location of the hearing. Learn more about the appeal process in the Alaska Medicaid Recipient Handbook here on pages 26 and 27.

What Happens to My Medicaid If I Move?

Alaska Medicaid recipients must report changes that can influence their eligibility status, including relocating to a new address.

If you move to a new residence within Alaska, you can update your address by completing the Change Report Form here. Once you have filled out the form, you can submit the request by mail, by fax or in person at a local Alaska Medicaid Office. Find contact information for local Medicaid field offices in Alaska here.

Note: Medicaid benefits do not transfer. If you move to a new state, you must reapply for Medicaid in your new location. If you have further questions about moving with Medicaid, visit the national Medicaid Contact Us here.

Need More Help?

For help with a Medicaid application, or for any further questions about the Medicaid program, contact the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services:

• By phone at (800) 780-9972
• By email memberhelp@conduent.com
• By mail at:

Conduent State Healthcare
P.O. Box 240808
Anchorage, AK 99524

You can also visit or call a local Public Assistance Office for further assistance. Find your nearest Public Assistance Office location and contact information here.

View or Download Our Free Guide

While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Medicaid program and compiled a guide and these answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.

Our free Medicaid Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply, program eligibility and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view or download our free guide here.

Last Updated: September 20, 2022