Alaska School Medicaid Snapshot
Expansion of School Medicaid Program
Alaska has not expanded its school Medicaid program beyond school health services documented in a student’s IEP or IFSP.
Coverage & Billing
Alaska covers the following school-based health services:
- Evaluation, Screening, Assessment (if outcome indicates need for services in the IEP or IFSP)
- Hearing Services
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Behavioral Health Services
- Nursing Services
Eligibility: Medicaid-eligible children for covered medically necessary services provided pursuant to an IEP or IFSP.
Billing: The billing providers are the Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Individual rendering providers may but are not required to enroll in Medicaid. Alaska does not have Medicaid managed care.
Reference Documents: 7 Alaska Admin.Code 115.600; Alaska School-based Services Manual
Nursing Services
Nursing services are covered as:
- Medication administration
- Direct observation
- Medication training, support services
The types of providers eligible to provide the service for Medicaid reimbursement purposes include:
- Nurses with an active license under Alaska Statutes 08.68
Because LPNs, RNs, and APRNs are licensed pursuant to this statute, all three appear to be eligible to provide Medicaid-covered school-based nursing services.
Reference Documents: Alaska School-based Services Manual
Behavioral Health Services
Behavioral healthcare is covered as:
- Emotional support assistance
- Behavior management education
- Crisis response services
- Behavior modification assistance using counseling techniques
- Functional behavioral assessments
- Psychoeducational services
- Testing & interpreting psychological, cognitive, emotional functioning
- Interpretation of behavioral assessment results
Providers eligible for Medicaid reimbursement include the following (excluding teachers):
- Behavioral Health Professional
- Behavioral Health Associate
- Licensed Psychologist or Psychological Associate
Reference Document: 7 Alaska Admin.Code 115.600; Alaska School-based Services Manual
Research Methods & Limitations
The information provided in this analysis represents findings from a 50-state review of publicly available information, most of which was available online as of March 15, 2021. In general, state Medicaid programs require healthcare practitioners to be licensed or authorized in the state in which they are practicing, and services are typically limited to those within the practitioner’s scope of practice under state law. The review for this project did not account for changes that may have been made to Medicaid coverage in response to COVID-19. It also did not include information related to state Medicaid coverage for Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy in school settings.
Contact your state’s Medicaid agency to verify specific program requirements related to reimbursement. State Medicaid requirements may change at any time, and the information in this document should not be considered as legal or compliance advice.
Prepared by Healthy Schools Campaign. For additional information, visit the School Medicaid Map.
