UPDATE: Medicaid care in 2020 will take into account the same requirements and application steps as it did in recent years.

Learning how to qualify for Medicaid in Alaska is crucial if you are interested in obtaining free or inexpensive medical assistance from the state’s medical insurance program, DenaliCare. Only petitioners who meet the Medicaid eligibility requirements will be accepted into the program. Note that different types of criteria must be met by all applicants.

To gain AK Medicaid benefits eligibility, applicants must meet requirements in income-related and non-income related aspects that have been established by the state.

What are the Income Requirements for Medicaid in Alaska?

For those asking, “Who is eligible for Medicaid in Alaska?” the simple answer is often: Americans with low incomes. However, to meet Medicaid benefits eligibility, defining the necessary income is essential.

The income required to meet Medicaid eligibility requirements in Alaska is based on the number of members in an applicant’s household. This is standard in every state within the nation that offers the Medicaid assistance program.

Regarding how to qualify for Medicaid based on income, the petitioner’s household income (based on the family’s size) must not exceed a certain percentage of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For instance, if the applicant is the only member of the household, then he or she must earn a low amount annually to receive Medicaid assistance.

On the other hand, if the household is composed of two individuals, it is allowed to earn a higher amount and still receive state medical assistance. To gauge the maximum income an applicant’s household is allowed to earn if it has more than 12 members, simply add a pre-determined amount for each member of the household. Download our helpful guide to learn about the different eligibility qualifications for Medicaid.

What are the Non-financial Requirements for Medicaid in Alaska?

Beyond the AK Medicaid eligibility requirements that are related to household income, the DenaliCare program also requires prospective beneficiaries to meet various other qualifying criteria. Namely, Medicaid benefits eligibility can only be obtained by United States citizens, Alaska state residents, United States permanent residents, legal aliens or United States nationals. Moreover, applicants must be considered low-income residents in need of medical insurance assistance or health care.

Beyond the income, residency/citizenship and medical need, Medicaid eligibility requirements relay that certain groups of individuals are granted access to medical assistance. Applicants who are 65 years of age or older, for instance, can get medical assistance from the DenaliCare program.

In addition to the elderly, Medicaid benefits eligibility is met by blind and the disabled citizens of the state. If while learning how to qualify for Medicaid in Alaska you begin to wonder what other groups are eligible to receive medical help, note that the following individuals can all get Medicaid benefits.

If you are pregnant or in an intermediate care home/nursing facility, you can get Medicaid. If you are younger than 21 years of age, you also qualify. If you have a limited duration of time as a refugee in the United States, you can receive medical assistance, too. Plus, Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program participants are eligible for benefits via the medical aid program.

Parents or caretakers of children younger than 21 can also be accepted as beneficiaries of Medicaid if the child’s parent is:

• Deceased
• Unemployed
• Underemployed
• Not living with the child

So long as you can provide proof of your income and your other eligibility qualifications when you apply for Medicaid coverage, you will likely be accepted into the program.

What Other Programs Can Qualify Recipients for Medicaid in Alaska?

Multiple factors attribute to how to qualify for Medicaid in AK. However, another way to determine who is eligible for Medicaid is by seeing if applicants are already members of another accepted state program. Members of many other public assistance programs may also receive medical assistance from DenaliCare.

If an applicant receives benefits from any of these other programs within the state, he or she can apply for Medicaid assistance as well. Simply review the Medicaid eligibility requirements provided above concerning income, residency, citizenship and other factors in order to verify the recipient’s qualifications. Explore the different Medicaid requirements by downloading our informative guide.

In the event that an application is denied due to non-eligibility, the applicant may appeal the decision within 90 days of the action. Once it receives the appeal request, the Alaska Department of Health Care Services will make a ruling regarding the applicant’s application within 45 days of its receipt. If the application is approved after the DHCS’ reconsideration, the household will begin to receive medical assistance benefits through the DenaliCare program.