Health
RSSHealth in Alaska is the state's public health system, healthcare delivery and the policies that shape them. It includes Medicaid and Medicare programs, tribal health corporations, rural and behavioral health care, and disease prevention across Alaska communities.
Places and organizations in this news
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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Week of Jun 22
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Week of Jun 15
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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo 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 4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 8
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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 5mo ago2 min read
More from Health
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 5mo 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 News5mo 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 5mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 1
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 5mo ago1 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 News5mo ago1 min read
Coming up
Motivational Interviewing for Brief Intervention in Behavioral Health Settings (Session 2)
Virtual
Class
Beyond Blame: Empowering Families in Eating Disorder Treatment with Dr. Jim Lock
Class
Rural Health Transformation Advisory Council Meeting
Meeting
Alaska Commission on Aging Listening Session - Ketchikan
Meeting
Hinge Health 101: Digital Physical Therapy for Pain Relief
Class
About Health
Health in Alaska takes in the state's public health system, its hospitals and clinics, and the programs that pay for care, including Medicaid and Medicare. Tribal health organizations such as Southcentral Foundation deliver care alongside hospitals including the Alaska Native Medical Center, Central Peninsula Hospital and Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.
State epidemiologists track infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, whooping cough, influenza and COVID-19, and recommend vaccines to clinicians. Access to care in rural Alaska is a recurring question: villages without a permanent practice rely on visiting dental and primary care clinics, and federal rural health grants pay for facilities and equipment.
Behavioral health and substance use treatment form another strand, from opioid settlement grants to warnings about overdose. Health also connects to state and federal policy through Medicaid eligibility rules and the cost of health coverage for public workers.
More from Health
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 News5mo ago1 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 5mo ago2 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 News5mo 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 News5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Tanana Chiefs Conference names cancer center for Andy and Barbara Jimmy
Tanana Chiefs Conference named its Fairbanks cancer center for Andy and Barbara Jimmy, honoring the former Minto chief and his wife for decades of leadership and advocacy in Alaska Native health.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Two Alaska clinics become the first under a new federal behavioral health funding model
Two Alaska clinics won federal certification for a four-year program that replaces per-visit Medicaid payments with predictable funding to stabilize behavioral health services.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Week of May 25
Alaska water systems face July deadlines to claim PFAS settlement funds or lose right to sue
Alaska water systems must complete PFAS testing by July 1 and submit settlement claims by July 31, 2026, or lose access to approximately $14 billion in nationwide funds and forfeit the right to sue 3M and DuPont.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska certifies first two behavioral health clinics under federal demonstration program
Alaska certified its first two behavioral health clinics under a federal program guaranteeing Medicaid funding for 24-hour crisis services and mental health treatment.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Mental Health Trust schedules June listening sessions on behavioral health gaps
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority will hold two public listening sessions in June to gather feedback on gaps in behavioral health services the state funds.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska nursing home costs highest in US as senior population surges
There are a lot of older Alaskans, and that's expensive
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska children on Medicaid face triple the rate of severe childhood trauma
Alaska Medicaid-enrolled 3-year-olds experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences at five times the rate of non-enrolled peers, 15% versus 3%, according to a December 2023 state health report.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom 
State health bulletin finds nearly one in four critical heart defects in Alaska infants diagnosed late
Alaska found that nearly one in four critical heart defects in newborns from 2007 to 2018 went undetected in the first 24 hours, with rural areas facing larger gaps due to limited ultrasound access and smaller birth volumes.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom 
Alaska reports rise in newborn heart valve defect
Alaska recorded 87 cases of pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis in newborns from 2018 through 2022, a rate of 13.1 per 10,000 births that exceeds the national average of 10.3 per 10,000.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min readEye Guys to visit 10 Alaska communities in June for AlaskaCare retiree exams
The Eye Guys will visit 10 Alaska communities June 1-28 to provide free comprehensive eye exams for AlaskaCare retirees covered under VSP vision benefits. Call (907) 376-3917 to schedule.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Tick found after Flattop hike shows Alaska's changing tick reality
A tick found on a pet after a Flattop hike near Anchorage has prompted veterinarians to remind residents that non-native ticks are arriving in Alaska and pet owners should check for them after outdoor activity.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska expands free quit support to iqmik, nicotine pouches
Alaska's free Quit Line now helps people quit iqmik and nicotine pouches alongside traditional tobacco, offering 24/7 coaching and free nicotine replacement therapy to all adults.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Native children under 10 had double the national rickets rate during 2001–2010, state report shows
Alaska Native children under 10 had rickets at double the U.S. rate from 2001 to 2010, driven by high latitude and vitamin D deficiency. • 91 percent of newborns in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta had vitamin D deficiency at birth. • Alaska now recommends 800 IU daily vitamin D for breastfed infants, double the national guideline. • Alaska Medicaid covers the higher supplementation doses.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Alaska reports increase in heart valve defect, decrease in abdominal wall defect
Alaska saw more cases of pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis from 2018 to 2022, exceeding the national rate, while abdominal wall defects declined, according to the state birth defects registry.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Week of May 18
Petersburg Medical Center receives state approval for MRI service
Petersburg Medical Center won state approval to offer MRI scans and plans to install the machine within 30 to 45 days in its new Work Building.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska seniors lost $8M to scams as programs expand to meet growing population needs
Alaska seniors lost 8.17 million dollars to scams in 2024, led by tech support fraud. • Senior population grew 78 percent since 2010 and now makes up 22 percent of the state. • State launched a mobile app to help seniors apply for eight public assistance programs. • Community programs are expanding volunteer services and elder abuse awareness.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
