Name: Heidi Hedberg: I would say the SNAP/Medicaid changes, our congressional delegation wrote in to the bill to give us more time. But we have a lot of work to reduce our payment error rate to get it below 6% by the end of this calendar year, and we're sitting at 20%. Otherwise, the new administration administration, it's a $45 million price tag to pay for those benefits. So like the workflow, the work changes have to happen this year. This year is critical for those changes.
Uploaded: 2026-10-20T20:36:28+00:00
Duration: 32 s

0:32

Heidi Hedberg

60:00 - 60:32

"I would say the SNAP/Medicaid changes, our congressional delegation wrote in to the bill to give us more time. But we have a lot of work to reduce our payment error rate to get it below 6% by the end of this calendar year, and we're sitting at 20%. Otherwise, the new administration administration, it's a $45 million price tag to pay for those benefits. So like the workflow, the work changes have to happen this year. This year is critical for those changes."

“I would say the SNAP/Medicaid changes, our congressional delegation wrote in to the bill to give us more time. But we have a lot of work to reduce our payment error rate to get it below 6% by the end of this calendar year, and we're sitting at 20%. Otherwise, the new administration administration, it's a $45 million price tag to pay for those benefits. So like the workflow, the work changes have to happen this year. This year is critical for those changes.”

Speaker: Heidi Hedberg
Timestamp: 60:00 – 60:32
Transcript: xit Interviews: What Alaska's Commissioners Want the Next Governor to Know - October 15, 2026
Community: Alaska News
Location: Anchorage
Captured at: October 20, 2026

From the transcript

I would say the SNAP/Medicaid changes, our congressional delegation wrote in to the bill to give us more time. But we have a lot of work to reduce our payment error rate to get it below 6% by the end of this calendar year, and we're sitting at 20%. Otherwise, the new administration administration, it's a $45 million price tag to pay for those benefits. So like the workflow, the work changes have to happen this year. This year is critical for those changes.

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Alaska faces $45 million SNAP bill unless error rate drops below 6%, commissioner says

Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg said Alaska must cut its 20% SNAP payment error rate below 6% this year or the next governor faces a $45 million bill, while six-month Medicaid renewals for 47,000 Alaskans begin with no added staff.

by Walter AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read

Alaska

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