Alaska sets $989.83 daily rate for specialized family home care

<title>Alaska Medicaid begins paying $989.83 a day for specialized habilitation</title>

Alaska now pays specialized family home habilitation providers a flat $989.83 a day, about double the standard group home rate, under rules that took effect Friday, Oct. 2. The Division of Senior and Disabilities Services announced the change in an e-alert. The rules let the Alaska Department of Health certify providers to deliver the two new specialized services.

The division's Chart of Waiver Services Rates, dated Aug. 4, lists the $989.83 daily rate for specialized family home habilitation for both adults and children. That compares with $483.15 a day for standard group home habilitation and with standard family home rates of $201.30 a day for adults and $217.84 for children, nearly five times lower. Those standard rates apply in the APDD, CCMC and IDD waiver programs, which serve adults with physical and developmental disabilities, children with complex medical conditions, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The chart also lists acuity add-ons for family home or group home habilitation: $169.82 per eight hours when one recipient needs one direct-care staff member, and $339.63 when one recipient needs two.

The department's notice of proposed changes said the rules would let it certify specialized providers and would update the rate chart. It held a public hearing June 12 and set a June 22 deadline for written comments. The department said it did not expect the changes to require more state money. Alaska News previously covered the department's filing of the adopted rules, which added the two services, certified providers to deliver them, and updated the waiver rate chart that sets what providers are paid.

The same regulatory package also sets rules for legally responsible individuals who provide two other waiver services, in-home supports and supported living.

Division Director Tony Newman will host a webinar on the changes Thursday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to noon. Advance registration is required, and registration questions go to [email protected]. Residents may send questions about the rules ahead of time to [email protected] or ask them during the session. The division plans to post a frequently asked questions document afterward and will announce other website updates through future e-alerts.