State responds to public comments on Medicaid behavioral health rates

The Alaska Department of Health has published its responses to public comments on proposed changes to Medicaid payment rates for behavioral health services.

The department posted a supplemental public notice on February 12 outlining the proposed rate changes. The comment period has closed, and the state has now released a document addressing the feedback it received.

The response document is available on the state's online public notice system. The original proposal detailed adjustments to reimbursement rates that Medicaid pays providers for mental health and substance abuse treatment services across Alaska.

Behavioral health providers, advocacy groups, and members of the public submitted comments during the review period. The state's response addresses those submissions and explains how the feedback influenced the final rule.

The notice applies statewide to all Medicaid-funded behavioral health services. The changes affect how much the state pays clinics, counselors, and treatment facilities that serve Medicaid patients.

The Department of Health assigned the proposal project number 2026200054. The public comment response document is posted as an attachment to the notice, which remains online through June 1.

For questions about the rate changes or the comment process, contact the Department of Health's Division of Behavioral Health. The full notice and response document are available at the state's online public notice portal.