Health
RSSAlaska News covers health policy, public health trends, and healthcare system developments affecting Alaska communities and residents.
At a remote Interior camp, sobriety is celebrated the Athabascan way
Old Minto, a remote Interior camp that roots addiction recovery in Athabascan tradition, holds its Annual Sobriety Potlatch July 23 — celebrating sobriety the way the culture always has.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska home and health care providers accused of Medicaid fraud
Alaska's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit charged 15 defendants in five cases across Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula, alleging about 1.83 million dollars in fraudulent home and health care billing.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska nudges up what it pays to house low-income seniors
Alaska bumped up what it pays to house low-income seniors by 3.5%, to $113 a day. Trouble is, assisted living here runs about $10,000 a month, and costs are rising faster.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $460K for teen health, senior services
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $460,000 in state grants for teen pregnancy prevention, senior navigation services, and case management at two public housing complexes.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Kodiak Borough declines federal interest notice, leaving health center next steps unresolved
Kodiak Borough rejected a federal interest notice for the health center's capital project, leaving its funding path uncertain.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to vote on $360K for senior and disability services
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $360,000 in state grants to sustain the Aging and Disability Resource Center through next June.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska updates Medicaid pay — providers say it's still too low
Alaska's annual Medicaid rate update is here, and hospitals and tribal clinics say it still doesn't cover the real cost of care — a chronic squeeze on rural and Native health services.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
A new federal water-testing rule could check rural Alaska for 'forever chemicals' — if it reaches us
An EPA rule would test drinking water for 30 contaminants, including the PFAS Alaska already has in its water. The catch: whether it reaches the state's small, rural systems.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min read
Alaska nudges up what it pays to keep seniors out of nursing homes
Alaska bumped its assisted-living reimbursement rate 3.5% — small money for a program built on a big bet: home care is cheaper than the nursing home alternative.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska's Medicaid self-audit deadline lands amid a fraud crackdown
Alaska is telling Medicaid providers to audit their own billing and repay overpayments — weeks after charging 15 people with about $1.83M in Medicaid fraud.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Petersburg's hospital more than doubled its cash reserves in three years
While rural hospitals nationwide struggle, Petersburg's has more than doubled its cash cushion in three years, to 133 days on hand, on tighter billing and better management.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Petersburg residents can finally get an MRI without leaving the island
Petersburg just got its first MRI, so island residents no longer have to travel off-island for a scan. A July 14 open house lets people tour the new suite.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Veterinary care reaches rural Alaska, where dog-bite rates run high
Veterinary care is coming to about 80 rural Alaska tribal communities July 1, where Alaska Native children are hospitalized for dog bites at about twice the U.S. rate.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Three new Community Health Aides head to Interior Alaska villages
Tanana Chiefs Conference recognized three new Community Health Aides for Tetlin, Dot Lake, and the Upper Tanana — often the closest thing to a doctor for miles.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A New Law Aims to Bring Alaska's Most Complex Patients Home
Alaska just created a new kind of care home so its most complex patients aren't shipped out of state — though for now it's a license on paper, waiting on federal Medicaid sign-off.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Just Graded Its ERs on Treating Kids
Alaska measured how ready its ERs are to treat critically ill kids and sent each hospital a private list of its gaps — now comes the harder part: fixing them.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Southcentral Foundation treats traditional food as medicine at a free Anchorage gathering
Southcentral Foundation hosts a free two-day Traditional Foods Gathering July 27 and 28 in Anchorage, treating Alaska Native harvests as medicine and health, not just culture.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
New Medicaid work-reporting rule puts Alaska's paperwork system in the middle of health coverage
Alaska must implement a federal Medicaid work-reporting rule by January 2027, requiring most adults 19 to 64 to prove 80 hours monthly of work or qualifying activity.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
State asks Kenai to join disease early-warning network
Kenai City Council approved joining a statewide wastewater monitoring network that tests sewage for disease outbreaks. The state covers all equipment costs and will sample Kenai's wastewater weekly.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska was selected for the federal CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration
Alaska's joining a federal Medicaid demo for full-service behavioral health clinics. Long overdue, given the state's gaps.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska rural health asks for $2.5B; federal program has $272M to give in this cycle
Alaska rural health: $2.5 billion in requests, $272 million available. The gap is the story.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Cook Inlet Housing breaks ground on 24 senior apartments in Anchorage
Cook Inlet Housing Authority will build 24 senior apartments in Anchorage by 2027. This project addresses a housing cost burden for seniors who spend over a third of their income on rent.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Wasilla resource fair connects Mat-Su families with disability services
LINKS Resource Center hosts a free disability services fair June 18 in Wasilla with resource tables, activities, and food for Mat-Su families.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
House panel hears bill to move tribal regulatory authority to Interior
A House panel heard testimony on moving a 25-year-dormant federal authority for tribal business development from Commerce to Interior, where it could finally function for Alaska's 229 tribes.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Begich bill would let the Indian Health Service fund rabies shots and spay/neuter in rural Alaska
Rural Alaska has rabid foxes biting dogs biting kids — and the IHS technically can't fund the shots. Begich's bill would change that.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Alaska adopts permanent telemedicine rules for addiction treatment
Alaska's permanent telemedicine rules for buprenorphine prescribing take effect July 4, replacing emergency measures and allowing doctors to treat opioid addiction remotely for up to six months before requiring an in-person visit.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Alaska files telemedicine rules with July 4 effective date
The Alaska State Medical Board filed permanent telemedicine rules effective July 4. • Providers must register with the state and update prescribing workflows. • These rules replace pandemic emergency standards for opioid treatment.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks spruce pollen hits season high in UAF count
Fairbanks spruce pollen hit a season record of 346 grains per cubic meter on June 5, according to University of Alaska Fairbanks counts that track allergy triggers and climate patterns.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Medical Board adopts telemedicine buprenorphine regulations
Alaska's Medical Board adopted telemedicine rules for buprenorphine prescribing effective July 4, letting rural patients start opioid addiction treatment remotely without traveling for an in-person visit first.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Federal rule sets 80-hour work requirement for Alaska Medicaid adults
Starting January 1, 2027, Alaska Medicaid adults ages 19 to 64 must work or participate in approved activities 80 hours per month to keep coverage, with exemptions for Alaska Natives, parents of young children, pregnant people, and others.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska warns Medicare users about brace and food scams
Alaska's Senior Medicare Patrol warns beneficiaries not to share Medicare numbers with callers offering free braces, food, or groceries, a scam that can drain coverage and corrupt medical records for years.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska warns rural providers: Moderna COVID vaccines arriving with short expiration dates
Alaska's health department warned rural clinics that incoming Moderna COVID vaccines have short expiration dates, forcing providers to order smaller quantities more often to avoid waste.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Bartlett Regional Hospital posts 39 job openings in one week
Bartlett Regional Hospital posted 40 job openings in one week, about half of all Juneau-area listings, spanning nurses, doctors, support staff, and administrative roles as the hospital works to fill vacancies and expand housing for employees.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Alaska Native Medical Center offers free mass-casualty triage training
Alaska Native Medical Center is offering free online mass-casualty triage training through the end of the year to pre-hospital and in-hospital workers across Alaska. Register at [email protected].
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Alaska offers fast-track fall training for substance-abuse counselors
Alaska is offering fast-track fall certification courses for substance-abuse counselors to address critical shortages in rural communities hit hard by overdose deaths and fentanyl spread.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Petersburg Medical Center loses bids for facility, equipment grants
Petersburg Medical Center's two largest grant proposals for a new facility and medical equipment were deferred by the state Rural Health Transformation Program on Wednesday, though five smaller projects advanced to a second funding round.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Petersburg Medical Center employee satisfaction hits 91%
Petersburg Medical Center employee satisfaction rose to 91% in 2026 from 84% in 2024, exceeding national healthcare averages across all measured areas.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Senate panel hears testimony on bill to ban youth gender care
A U.S. Senate committee heard testimony May 21 on a proposed federal ban of gender transition care for minors, as Alaska's State Medical Board simultaneously pursues a draft regulation that would label such care negligent and risk provider licenses.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Alaska clarifies Medicaid psychotherapy billing rules for master's-level clinicians
Alaska's Division of Behavioral Health clarified that master's-level clinicians pursuing licensure can bill Medicaid for psychotherapy under supervision, letting clinics deploy new therapists immediately.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska's draft 2026-2030 maternal and child health plan is open for comment — these are the seven priorities under review
Babies are important, tell Alaska in which ways
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
