How to start a home care agency in Alaska

Alaska does not require a state license for a home care agency, according to Alaska Department of Health, Senior and Disabilities Services (SDS), Provider Certification and Compliance Unit. Non-medical home care — no state facility license; Medicaid personal care agencies need SDS certification.

License required

No

License

Personal Care Services (PCS) / Community First Choice PCS agency certification (Medicaid only)

Issuing agency

Alaska Department of Health, Senior and Disabilities Services (SDS), Provider Certification and Compliance Unit

Renewal

Renewal application due at least 60 days before the current certification period expires; no fee stated.

Insurance and bonds

Workers' compensation as required by AS 23.30.045; commercial general liability and commercial auto liability of at least $300,000 combined single limit per claim; SDS named as certificate holder. Must show ability to cover at least three months of operating expenses.

Survey and inspection

SDS must be given access to all service locations and record storage locations for certification and oversight.

Regulation

7 AAC 125 (Personal Care Services), 7 AAC 127 (Community First Choice), 7 AAC 10.900–10.990 (criminal history checks)

1. Obtain a State of Alaska business license
2. Have the program administrator complete the department's personal care services agency training course
3. Submit the SDS certification application with written policies and procedures
4. Submit proof of insurance naming SDS as certificate holder, plus organization chart and personnel list
5. Report the EVV vendor to DHSSEVV@alaska.gov the same day the application is submitted
6. Renew at least 60 days before certification expires, including a quality improvement report

Staffing

• Program administrator responsible for day-to-day management; a newly hired administrator must take the state PCS agency training course within 3 months
• Agency-based programs must retain a supervising registered nurse
• Owners and staff may not have Medicaid fraud convictions, Medicaid sanctions, or revoked background-check clearances

Training

• Program administrator must attend the department's PCS agency training course before applying or renewing
• Provider must comply with all regulatory training requirements for personal care assistants

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 →

Model

hybrid

State vendor

Therap Services

Services in scope

• personal care
• home health

Alternate EVV allowed

Yes

Program

https://health.alaska.gov/en/services/electronic-visit-verification/

Alaska EVV requirements →

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.

Personal care / in-home supportive care organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

98 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

206,739 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All Alaska Home care 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 →