Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau clinics join federal program requiring 24-hour crisis care

Two behavioral health providers at three sites in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau began a four-year federal Medicaid demonstration Oct. 1 that requires them to offer 24-hour crisis services and serve patients regardless of ability to pay, the Alaska Department of Health's Division of Behavioral Health announced.

Alaska Behavioral Health in Fairbanks and Anchorage and JAMHI Health & Wellness in Juneau earned state certification for the first year, the division said. Under the demonstration, Medicaid pays the certified clinics for mental health and substance use care at a rate set in advance. Federal officials describe it as Medicaid funding that lasts beyond time-limited grants.

Clinics in the program must also offer timely outpatient care and serve patients regardless of residence or age, according to the department's June announcement. Under federal certification criteria, mobile crisis teams are expected to arrive within an hour of dispatch, or two hours in rural and frontier areas, and never more than three hours.

Alaska is one of 10 states federal officials added to the demonstration in May, with approval from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The June announcement named only the Fairbanks and Juneau clinics; Anchorage is new to the list. Federal rules require a state to certify at least two clinics in different areas, with at least one rural or underserved. The model is not new to JAMHI, which received federal expansion funding for it in 2020.

The department has proposed state regulations to set the payment method for the clinics. The notice of proposed changes says they are not expected to require a larger appropriation. Written comments are due by 5 pm Oct. 30, and a public hearing by Zoom is set for Oct. 23.