The Alaska Medicaid Fee Schedule shows payment rates or reimbursement methodologies for Medicaid-covered services. There is no single rate table for every service — what you actually get paid depends on the provider type, service or billing code, effective date, and Alaska Medicaid payment rules.
The single most important step for providers, billing teams, patients, and caregivers: identify the correct schedule for the date of service. Don’t rely on an old PDF or a generic statewide estimate.
What Is the Alaska Medicaid Fee Schedule?
An Alaska Medicaid fee schedule is a state payment resource showing how Medicaid reimburses eligible providers for covered healthcare services. Depending on the service, it may contain CPT, HCPCS, CDT, or other service codes — along with units, modifiers, maximum allowable amounts, or a different payment methodology altogether.
The Alaska Department of Health administers the state’s Medicaid initiative and maintains multiple reimbursement resources, not one universal schedule. Physician services, behavioral health, hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), nursing facilities, waiver programs, and long-term services and supports (LTSS) can each follow a completely different payment method. That distinction matters more than most people realize.
Current Alaska Medicaid Fee Schedules for 2026
Alaska’s current payment information is divided by provider and service category. As of July 1, 2026, the state’s Office of Rate Review publishes payment rates for Alaska hospitals, freestanding nursing facilities, FQHCs, certain out-of-state ICF/IID providers, and ambulatory surgical centers. (Alaska Department of Health)
Other Alaska Department of Health resources separately publish FY27 rates for waiver services, LTSS, Personal Care Services (PCS), Community First Choice (CFC), behavioral health, autism services, and other programs. (Alaska Department of Health)
| Provider or Service | Typical Rate Resource | Important Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians/professionals | Professional payment methodology | CPT/HCPCS, provider type |
| Behavioral health | Behavioral health rate schedules | Credential and service |
| Dental | Dental reimbursement resources | CDT/service rules |
| Hospitals | Facility-specific rates | Facility and effective period |
| FQHCs | FQHC payment methodology | Encounter/payment methodology |
| Nursing facilities | Facility-specific rates | Per-day/payment methodology |
| Waiver/HCBS | FY27 rate charts | Program and service |
| PCS/CFC | Service-specific charts | Units and eligibility |
| Telehealth | Underlying service methodology | Provider/service eligibility |
Important: A schedule published in 2026 does not necessarily apply to every service performed during 2026. Always match its effective date with the actual date of service.
Also Check Every State’s Medicaid Fee Schedule — Compare Rates by State
FY26 vs. FY27: Why the Date Matters
One of the easiest Alaska Medicaid billing mistakes is confusing the calendar year with the state fiscal year.
Calendar year 2026 runs January 1 through December 31. A state FY27 schedule can begin July 1, 2026 — meaning both FY26-related and FY27-related information can appear during the same calendar year. Alaska’s FY27 Waiver Services Rate Chart, for example, applies a 3.2% increase effective July 1, 2026. (Alaska Department of Health)
Never choose a reimbursement rate simply because a document has “2026” in its title.
How to Look Up an Alaska Medicaid Reimbursement Rate
Follow this sequence — in this order:
- Identify the provider type. Physician, APRN, psychologist, LCSW, LMFT, LPC, dentist, FQHC, hospital, nursing facility, waiver provider, or another enrolled type?
- Identify the service. What exactly was delivered?
- Find the billing code. Confirm the applicable CPT, HCPCS, CDT, revenue, or service code.
- Confirm the date of service. This determines which effective schedule applies.
- Choose the correct rate resource. A professional schedule doesn’t apply to a service governed by facility or program-specific methodology.
- Check the rate and units. Payment may be per visit, 15 minutes, hour, day, encounter, or another unit entirely.
- Verify modifiers and prior authorization. The base code alone rarely tells the full story.
- Confirm current billing rules. Coverage, enrollment, documentation, place of service, and other requirements all affect payment.
Provider → service → code → date → schedule → rate → authorization → billing rules. That sequence is far safer than searching for a dollar amount first.
How Much Does Alaska Medicaid Pay Providers?
There is no single Alaska Medicaid reimbursement rate. Payment varies by service, provider type, code, units, facility, effective date, and reimbursement methodology.
Alaska’s Community Behavioral Health and Mental Health Physician Clinic schedule effective July 1, 2026 lists different rates and units for case management, therapeutic behavioral health services, crisis services, medication services, and other covered services. (Alaska Department of Health) Hospital reimbursement adds another layer — Alaska’s July 2026 payment memo shows different inpatient per-day amounts and outpatient percentages of charges among facilities in communities such as Cordova, Ketchikan, Nome, Petersburg, Kodiak, Seward, Valdez, and Homer. (Alaska Department of Health)
A statewide “average Medicaid rate” is essentially meaningless.
What Does “Maximum Allowable” Mean?
Maximum allowable represents the maximum payment amount recognized under the applicable Medicaid fee schedule for a service. That’s it. It does not mean every claim automatically pays that amount.
Actual payment depends on:
- Provider eligibility and enrollment
- Covered-service requirements
- CPT, HCPCS, or CDT code
- Modifiers
- Units
- Prior authorization
- Place of service
- Billing restrictions
- Other applicable Medicaid payment rules
Treat the fee schedule as one component of reimbursement verification — not the whole picture.
Alaska Medicaid Behavioral Health Fee Schedule
Behavioral health is one of the most provider-specific areas in Alaska Medicaid, and it’s where a lot of billing errors happen.
The Alaska Department of Health maintains separate resources for Community Behavioral Health Services, Mental Health Physician Clinics, Behavioral Health Reform 1115 waiver services, autism services, psychologists, and several independent licensed behavioral health professions. (Alaska Department of Health) Current resources include rates effective July 1, 2026 for Community Behavioral Health/Mental Health Physician Clinic services, autism services, Behavioral Health Reform 1115 services, and independent psychologists — though other schedules on the state’s page carry different effective dates. (Alaska Department of Health)
A psychologist, LCSW, LMFT, or LPC needs to confirm the schedule that applies specifically to their credential and date of service. Assuming all behavioral health providers bill under the same rates is a mistake that’s easy to make and costly to fix.
Alaska Medicaid Waiver, HCBS and LTSS Rates
Alaska publishes dedicated payment information for Home and Community-Based Services and long-term care programs. FY27 and earlier charts cover:
- Waiver services
- Long-Term Services and Supports and Targeted Case Management
- Personal Care Services
- Community First Choice
- Specialized medical equipment
Regulations at 7 AAC 145.520 through 7 AAC 145.537 address payment-rate determination and provider accounting and cost-reporting responsibilities for relevant services. (Alaska Department of Health) The FY27 Waiver Services chart also warns that it does not contain every Medicaid-reimbursed waiver service and that regulatory payment limits and coverage restrictions may still apply. (Alaska Department of Health)
That caveat is not boilerplate — take it seriously.
Alaska Medicaid Hospital, FQHC and Facility Rates
Facility reimbursement does not work like an ordinary professional CPT fee schedule. The Office of Rate Review publishes payment information for institutional providers, with rates effective July 1, 2026 covering hospitals, freestanding nursing facilities, FQHCs, certain ICF/IID providers, and ambulatory surgical centers. (Alaska Department of Health)
Hospital methodologies can include:
- Inpatient per-day rates
- Outpatient percentages of charges
- Long-term-care per-day rates
FQHC reimbursement has a distinct methodology as well. Alaska’s 2026 FQHC rate evaluation covers Medicaid cost-per-encounter calculations and annual rate adjustments — which is exactly why an FQHC shouldn’t estimate reimbursement from a standard physician fee schedule. (Alaska Department of Health)
Also See If You Qualify — Alaska Medicaid Income Limits & Eligibility 2026
Does Alaska Medicaid Use Medicare Rates?
Alaska Medicaid and Medicare rates are not interchangeable. Full stop.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program administered under state and federal requirements. Medicare uses entirely separate federal payment systems. Even where Alaska Medicaid references concepts like the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS), Relative Value Units (RVUs), or Medicare-related benchmarks, the resulting Medicaid payment should not be assumed to match Medicare reimbursement.
| Item | Alaska Medicaid | Medicare |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | State/federal | Federal |
| Rate source | Alaska Medicaid rules | Medicare payment systems |
| Payment | Provider/service dependent | Medicare methodology |
| Same rate guaranteed? | No | No |
Always verify the Alaska Medicaid payment methodology for the specific service.
Does Alaska Medicaid Pay for Telehealth?
Telehealth reimbursement depends on whether the underlying service, provider, and delivery method meet Alaska Medicaid requirements — there’s no separate universal “telehealth fee.”
Check this sequence:
Covered service → eligible provider → telehealth requirements → code/modifier → place of service → applicable reimbursement methodology
The underlying covered service and provider category remain the central factors.
Fee Schedule vs. Billed Charge vs. Patient Cost
These terms get confused constantly. Here’s what each one actually means:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fee schedule/rate | Medicaid payment amount or rate information |
| Billed charge | Amount submitted by the provider |
| Allowed amount | Amount recognized under payer rules |
| Maximum allowable | Maximum recognized payment under applicable methodology |
| Patient cost | Amount, if any, assigned to the member under coverage rules |
| Cash price | Provider’s non-insurance/self-pay price |
Alaska also has healthcare price-transparency requirements for provider prices — those price lists are not Medicaid reimbursement rates. (Alaska Department of Health) Seeing a provider’s listed price tells you nothing about what Medicaid will pay or what you personally owe.
Are Alaska Medicaid Rates the Same Across Alaska?
Not always. Many professional payment rules are statewide, so a CPT service doesn’t automatically get a different rate just because it’s performed in Anchorage versus Fairbanks.
That said, provider category, facility type, program, and payment methodology can introduce real geographic differences. Current facility-rate documents identify individual rates for healthcare facilities in different Alaska communities. (Alaska Department of Health)
For consumers searching for Alaska Medicaid providers near me, useful local searches include Medicaid providers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla, Palmer, Kenai, Soldotna, Kodiak, Ketchikan, and Nome. Rural geography, Tribal partnerships, workforce availability, and healthcare delivery costs are factors Alaska’s Office of Rate Review considers in broader Medicaid rate-study work. (Alaska Department of Health)
Common Alaska Medicaid Fee Schedule Mistakes
Billing errors tend to cluster around the same problems:
- Using an outdated PDF
- Picking a schedule by publication year instead of effective date
- Mixing up FY26, FY27, and calendar year 2026
- Looking up the wrong CPT, HCPCS, or CDT code
- Ignoring provider type
- Missing required modifiers or units
- Assuming prior authorization isn’t needed
- Treating maximum allowable as guaranteed reimbursement
- Substituting Medicare rates for Medicaid rates
- Confusing a provider’s listed price with Medicaid reimbursement
- Assuming all Alaska facilities or locations follow identical payment methodologies
Accuracy here matters beyond just getting paid correctly. Alaska requires Medicaid providers to maintain service records, and state and federal oversight can review whether services and billing are properly documented. (Alaska Department of Health)
FAQs – Alaska Medicaid reimbursement rates
Where can I find the current Alaska Medicaid fee schedule?
Use official Alaska Department of Health provider, behavioral health, payment-rate, and Office of Rate Review resources. Alaska uses multiple schedules — identify your provider and service category first, then find the right resource from there.
What are the Alaska Medicaid reimbursement rates for 2026?
Rates vary by provider, service, code, facility, and effective date. Several current schedules became effective July 1, 2026, while other 2026 facility rates use different effective periods. (Alaska Department of Health)
How do I look up an Alaska Medicaid CPT code?
Identify the CPT code, provider type, date of service, modifiers, units, and place of service. Then locate the applicable Alaska Medicaid schedule and confirm authorization and billing requirements before submitting.
Does Alaska Medicaid have a behavioral health fee schedule?
Yes. Alaska publishes separate rate details for community behavioral health, autism services, 1115 waiver services, independent psychologists, LCSWs, LMFTs, and LPCs. (Alaska Department of Health)
What is the difference between FY26 and FY27 Alaska Medicaid rates?
The fiscal-year designation identifies the state rate period, not the calendar year. FY27 rate charts take effect during calendar year 2026 — several Alaska FY27 rates went live July 1, 2026. (Alaska Department of Health)
Does Alaska Medicaid pay the provider’s billed amount?
No. Reimbursement follows the applicable Medicaid payment methodology. The billed charge, maximum allowable amount, and final Medicaid payment are three different numbers.
Are Alaska Medicaid hospital rates the same statewide?
No universal hospital rate covers every Alaska facility. Current state documents show facility-specific inpatient, outpatient, and long-term-care payment amounts. (Alaska Department of Health)
Does the Medicaid fee schedule tell me what I will pay as a patient?
No. A fee schedule addresses provider reimbursement. It’s not your cash price or personal financial responsibility.
How often should providers check Alaska Medicaid rates?
Check at the start of every new effective period and before using any rate for billing or financial planning. Also verify updates when Alaska Medicaid changes coverage, codes, modifiers, authorization requirements, or payment methodologies.
Conclusion
Think of the Alaska Medicaid Fee Schedule 2026 as a system — a collection of provider- and service-specific resources, not one document with all the answers.
Before billing anything, run through this sequence: provider type → service → CPT/HCPCS/CDT code → date of service → correct fee schedule → rate/unit → modifier and authorization → current billing rules.
This is especially important right now because Alaska has schedules with different effective periods, including major changes that kicked in July 1, 2026. Use current Department of Health resources in Alaska for professional services, behavioral health, hospitals, FQHCs, nursing facilities, waiver services, LTSS, PCS, CFC, and every other Medicaid program. Getting this right from the start saves time, avoids rejected claims, and keeps your documentation clean.
Official Resources
- Check Current Hospital & Facility Rates — Alaska Department of Health, Office of Rate Review
- See Fee Schedules & Billing Manuals — Alaska Medical Assistance Health Enterprise Portal
- Find Payment Rates & Cost Survey Data — Alaska Department of Health
- Get Provider Enrollment & Assistance — Alaska Department of Health
Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational only and is not medical, legal, or billing advice. Alaska Medicaid rates and rules can change; always confirm the latest Alaska Department of Health schedule and requirements for the specific provider, service, and date of service before paying.