NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CARE SERVICES, COMMUNITY FIRST CHOICE SERVICES, AND HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED WAIVER SERVICES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION The Department of Health proposes to change regulations related to the assessment tools used to determine eligibility for personal care services, Community First Choice services, and Home and Community-Based Waiver services. |
Summary of proposed changes: The Department of Health proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 7 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with assessment tools used to determine eligibility for personal care services, Community First Choice services, and Home and Community-Based Waiver services, including the following:
- 7 AAC 125. Medicaid Coverage; Personal Care Services and Home Health Care Services, is proposed to be changed as follows:
- provide for the use of the Alaska Home Care Assessment Tool and the Consumer Assessment Tool for the identified assessments in Title 7;
- provide for the use of the Service Level Computation Chart for Personal Care Services and Community First Personal Services in the manner proposed in 7 AAC 125;
- further define Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL);
- repeal and readopt 7 AAC 125.030, relating to covered personal care services;
- repeal and readopt definitions used in 7 AAC 125; and
- update references throughout the Chapter.
- 7 AAC 127. Community First Choice Services, is proposed to be changed as follows:
- provide for the use of the Alaska Home Care Assessment Tool and the Consumer Assessment Tool for the identified assessments in Title 7;
- provide for the use of the Service Level Computation Chart for Personal Care Services and Community First Choice Personal Care Services; and
- update references throughout the Chapter.
- 7 AAC 130. Medicaid Coverage; Home and Community-Based Waiver Services, is proposed to be changed as follows:
- provide for the use of the Alaska Home Care Assessment Tool in the manner described by the amendments to that Chapter.
- 7 AAC 160.900. Medicaid Program; General Provisions. Requirements adopted by reference, is proposed to be changed as follows:
- repeal the adoption by reference of the Personal Care Services: Service Level Computation, and the Community First Choice Personal Care Services: Service Level Computation, both of which were adopted by reference in 7 AAC 160.900;
- adopt by reference the Alaska Home Care Assessment Tool and the Service Level Computation Chart for Personal Care Services and Community First Choice Personal Care Services; and
- update the versions of other materials adopted by reference, including the Material Improvement Reporting for ALI/APDD Waivers, and the Material Improvement Reporting for CCMC Waivers.
Written comments: You may comment on the regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the changes, by submitting written comments to State of Alaska, Department of Health, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services, Attention: Ellen Hackenmueller, 1835 Bragaw Street, Suite 350, Anchorage, AK 99508. Additionally, the Department of Health will accept comments by electronic mail at ellen.hackenmueller@alaska.gov .
Written comment deadline: The written comments must be received not later than 5:00 p.m. on December 18, 2026.
Oral hearing: You may provide oral comments relevant to the proposed action by telephone or online at the hearing to be held on December 2, 2026, as a telephone and internet-accessible Zoom meeting.
There will not be in-person attendance provided at the hearing site, so please prepare to share your oral comments by telephone only. The hearing is scheduled from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., and priority will be given to commenters on the line before the beginning of the hearing. The hearing may be extended to accommodate those on the line before 12:30 p.m. who did not have an opportunity to comment. Before the start of the hearing, Department of Health may limit the time allotted for each person providing oral testimony, as reasonably necessary to conclude the hearing in the time provided.
You may join the Zoom meeting by using the Zoom website link or by calling the Zoom Call-in toll-free telephone number and using the Meeting ID and Passcode, as follows:
- To attend the meeting and provide oral comments by telephone, please use the Zoom Call-in Toll-free Number:
- Zoom Call-in Toll-free Number: 1-833-548-0276 (US Toll-free); Meeting ID: 810 4805 2588 and Passcode: 464361.
- To attend the meeting and provide oral comments by Zoom website link, please use the Meeting Zoom Link:
Questions: You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Ellen Hackenmueller, by electronic mail at ellen.hackenmueller@alaska.gov , or at the State of Alaska, Department of Health, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services, Attention: Ellen Hackenmueller, 1835 Bragaw Street, Suite 350, Anchorage, AK 99508. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Health may aggregate its responses to substantially similar questions and will make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System.
Public nature of comments and questions: Public comments and questions, once submitted, are public records and subject to disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act. See AS 40.25.100 - 40.25.295. Do NOT include in your comments or questions any information that you do not want made public.
Accommodations: If you are a person with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Ellen Hackenmueller, by electronic mail at ellen.hackenmueller@alaska.gov , or by telephone at (907) 269-3666, not later than November 23, 2026, to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
Obtaining copies of proposed regulations: A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Ellen Hackenmueller, by electronic mail at ellen.hackenmueller@alaska.gov , or by telephone at (907) 269-3666.
A copy of the following material proposed for adoption by reference is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System:
- Service Level Computation Chart for Personal Care Services and Community First Choice Personal Care Services, dated October 21, 2026;
- Material Improvement Reporting for ALI/APDD Waivers, dated February 23, 2026; Material Improvement Reporting for CCMC Waivers, dated February 23, 2026.
A copy of the Alaska Home Care Assessment Tool, dated November 2, 2026, proposed for adoption by reference may be viewed at the following offices of the agency:
- 1835 Bragaw Street, Suite 350, Anchorage, AK 99508;
- 751 Old Richardson Hwy, Suite 100a, Fairbanks, AK 99701;
- 350 Main Street, Suite 503, Juneau, AK 99811.
Final version of regulations: After the public comment period ends, the Department of Health will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory authority: AS 47.05.010; AS 47.05.012; AS 47.05.017; AS 47.05.300; AS 47.05.310; AS 47.05.320; AS 47.05.340; AS 47.07.030; AS 47.07.036; AS 47.07.040; AS 47.07.045; AS 47.07.085
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 47.07.030; AS 47.07.036; AS 47.07.040; AS 47.07.045; AS 47.07.085
Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
Final version of regulations: The Department of Health, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services, keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in its regulations. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of all the Department of Health, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services, notices of proposed regulation changes. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the Department of Health, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services, to ellen.hackenmueller@alaska.gov , giving your name, and either your e-mail address or mailing address, as you prefer for receiving notices.
How to receive further notices: Individuals can also signup to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.
Individuals can also sign up to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.
DATE: November 9, 2026.
/s/Heidi Hedberg
Commissioner,
Department of Health
State of Alaska.