How to start an ABA practice in Alaska

Alaska requires a Behavior Analyst license; Assistant Behavior Analyst license from Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development — Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Behavior Analyst Program) to operate an ABA practice. Fee: $325. Processing time: Renewal applications: plan on 4–6 weeks for complete applications (per renewal form). Initial processing time not stated.

License required

Yes

License

Behavior Analyst license; Assistant Behavior Analyst license

Issuing agency

Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development — Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Behavior Analyst Program)

Fee

$325

Fee details

Behavior analyst by examination: $150 nonrefundable application fee + $100 license fee + $75 fingerprint processing = $325. Assistant behavior analyst by credentials: $150 + $50 license fee + $75 fingerprint = $275.

Renewal

Every 2 years · Biennial renewal: behavior analyst $100, assistant $50 (prorated $50 / $25 for licenses first issued on or after October 1, 2025). Licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years.

Processing time

Renewal applications: plan on 4–6 weeks for complete applications (per renewal form). Initial processing time not stated.

Professional license

board: Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (no separate board); statute: AS 08.15; 12 AAC 77; fees at 12 AAC 02; behavior analyst: License required to practice; based on BACB certification, application, fingerprint background check.; assistant behavior analyst: Separate license; BCaBA certification and proof of direct supervision.; technician: No state license. AS 08.15.070 exempts individuals who directly implement ABA under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or assistant. For Medicaid, an autism behavior technician must enroll as a rendering provider and hold a current RBT registration or another approved technician credential.; medicaid enrollment: Under 7 AAC 135.300, Medicaid pays for autism (ABA) services by an enrolled behavior analyst (independent provider, state license, current BACB certification), an enrolled assistant behavior analyst (rendering), or an enrolled autism behavior technician (rendering, with RBT or comparable credential). Rates are on the Department of Health autism services fee schedule.

Regulation

AS 08.15.010–.990; 12 AAC 77; 7 AAC 135.300–.350

1. Obtain BACB certification (BCBA, or BCaBA for assistants)
2. Submit the division's application with fees and an FD-258 fingerprint card
3. Assistants: show proof of direct supervision by a licensed behavior analyst
4. Renew biennially by September 30 of even-numbered years

Staffing

• Assistant behavior analysts may only practice under the direct supervision of a licensed behavior analyst (AS 08.15.020)

Program

Alaska Medicaid (Alaska Medical Assistance)

Enrollment portal

Alaska Medicaid Health Enterprise portal (online provider enrollment)

Fiscal agent

HMS Gainwell (Gainwell Technologies) — provider enrollment and fiscal agent services; the Health Enterprise MMIS is a Conduent system

Application fee

Alaska requires group providers and sole proprietors to pay the application fee (with an attestation form) at enrollment and again at revalidation, subject to the federal exceptions; a hardship waiver can be requested with a justification letter and financial records. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.

Fingerprinting

Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.

Site visit

Alaska applies pre- and post-enrollment site visits to moderate- and high-risk group providers and sole proprietors at enrollment, revalidation and service-location changes; the site-visit date feeds into the enrollment effective date. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.

Revalidation

Alaska sets each provider's revalidation timing by its risk level; providers that miss their due date have payments held until the revalidation is processed. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.

Full Alaska Medicaid enrollment guide →

CON program

Yes

Program

Certificate of Need

Agency

Alaska Department of Health (decision by the commissioner)

Services covered

• hospitals (including psychiatric and tuberculosis hospitals)
• skilled nursing facilities / nursing home beds
• intermediate care facilities
• residential psychiatric treatment centers
• ambulatory surgical facilities
• kidney disease treatment centers / freestanding dialysis
• independent diagnostic testing facilities

Alaska certificate of need details →

State minimum wage

$14.00 an hour

Effective

2026-07-01

Scheduled increases

Rises to $15.00 on 2027-07-01 under Ballot Measure 1 (2024); annual inflation adjustments begin 2028-01-01.

HCBS 80/20 rule

Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.

Applied behavior analysis organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

43 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

206,739 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All Alaska ABA Medicaid rates, ranked →

• Alaskans Living Independently (1915(c))
• Adults with Physical and Developmental Disabilities Waiver (1915(c))
• Children with Complex Medical Conditions Waiver (1915(c))
• Community First Choice (CFC) (1915(k))
• Individualized Supports Waiver (1915(c))
• People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver (1915(c))

Alaska waivers and waiting lists →