Alaska will ask behavioral health providers which grant services Medicaid could cover

The Alaska Division of Behavioral Health will ask providers at a virtual "Change Agent Meeting" on Nov. 18 which of their grant-funded services they believe could now be billed to Medicaid, under either the state plan or the 1115 waiver. The waiver gives Alaska authority "to enhance the set of behavioral health services available under Medicaid" for people with serious mental illnesses, severe emotional disturbances or substance use disorders, according to the state's provider manual.

The meeting runs from 9 am to 12:30 pm Alaska Standard Time. The division said its breakout sessions aim to learn how providers now split billing between Medicaid and grants and how the state can better support them.

Other questions ask what makes Medicaid billing harder than using grants and how providers use grants now. They point in particular to Comprehensive Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery programs, which include outpatient treatment, residential or withdrawal-management services and peer support. A final question asks how providers would rank grant spending if Medicaid covered all eligible services.

In a May 14 letter to behavioral health providers, the division paused three new grant programs and continued the existing outpatient and residential treatment grants for two more years. The letter cited provider feedback about readiness for more changes alongside pending Medicaid rate updates.

The division already expects grantees to bill Medicaid first. A 2024 request for Ketchikan outpatient grants told recipients to bill eligible services to Medicaid where applicable: "Department funds are the payer of last resort."

Providers can request an invitation through the Change Agent Meeting RSVP form. Those who cannot attend can ask for a follow-up survey with the breakout questions.