CMS Review
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Focused Review of Senior and Disabilities Services Medicaid waiver and Personal Care Assistance programs
QA Reports
These documents contain the division’s first Quality Assurance Report on the SDS Performance Measures to CMS. This report will be submitted monthly until such time as CMS determines less frequent reporting is necessary. Additional refinements will be made to the reports in subsequent submissions.
- Quality Assurance Report
- Adults with Physical Disabilities
- Children witrh Complex Medical Conditions
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Older Alaskans
CMS Review Correspondence
- CMS Letter — 8/28/09
- CMS Letter — 8/27/09
- CMS Letter — 8/21/09
- CMS Letter — 8/6/09
- CMS Letter — 7/31/09
- DHSS Response — 7/13/09
- CMS Preliminary Review — 6/26/09
General Information
Resource & Referral Agencies
Provider Information
- Updated Information on Temporary Moratorium — 8/7/09
- Provider & Family Suggestion Sessions
- Suggestion Sessions Summary
- CMS Provider E-Alerts
- Program Memo to Providers
Press Releases
- Moratorium lifted from Alaska's Medicaid waiver programs — 8/28/09
- Emergency Exemptions OK’d for Federal Moratorium on Medicaid WaiversEmergency Exemptions OKd for Federal Moratorium on Medicaid Waivers 8/21/2009
- Federal moratorium on Personal Care Assistance applications lifted — 8/7/09
- State Senior and Disabilities Services takes steps to end federal moratorium on some Medicaid services — 7/29/09
- SDS works with CMS to improve oversight — 7/13/09
- SDS responds to federal review — 7/1/09
About the CMS Review
June 6, 2011 — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) completed a focused on-site review to assess Alaska's progress in implementation of the Medicaid waiver Corrective Action Plan (CAP). CMS concluded that Alaska has met all the requirements related to the development and implementation of the CAP. Please follow this link to read the official CMS communication.
Aug. 28, 2009 — The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) lifted its moratorium on new applications to Alaska’s four Medicaid waiver programs today.
Bill Hogan, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Social Services, said today, “We know people have been waiting, and I thank all the families and providers for the support they’ve provided during this time, CMS for its assistance, and DHSS staff for their hard work to end this moratorium.”
The waiver programs provide home‑ and community-based care for Alaskans with serious health needs who would otherwise require care in a hospital, nursing home or other facility.
“We’re thrilled to open these programs again,” said Senior and Disabilities Services Director Rebecca Hilgendorf. “We have many more improvements underway for our home- and community-based services, and look forward to completing them with CMS’ ongoing assistance.”
On June 26, 2009, CMS placed a temporary hold on new applications to the waiver programs and Personal Care Assistance services for Alaskans who need help with basic daily living skills such as bathing and dressing. The federal agency cited concerns about a backlog of annual needs re-evaluations and administrative procedures.
Earlier this month, CMS lifted the hold from the Personal Care Assistance services, and earlier this week granted the state’s request to allow emergency applications to the waiver programs.
The state has made progress on several CMS concerns by hiring new staff; updating provider training and offering it online; and adopting electronic assessment tools to increase efficiency and reduce the chance of errors.
An overall corrective action plan is due to CMS by Sept. 3. CMS. The department will then collaborate on approval of the plan, a process that could take months.
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