Summary: Medicaid Entitlement Block Grant Award

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the State of Alaska Department of Health approximately $1.96 billion under the Grants to States for Medicaid program (CFDA 93.778) for fiscal year 2026. This Block Grant award, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, provides quarterly financial assistance enabling Alaska to deliver medical assistance payments on behalf of eligible low-income populations, including cash assistance recipients, children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and other categorically-eligible groups who meet state income and resource requirements.

Under this entitlement grant, the State of Alaska Department of Health administers comprehensive Medicaid services to qualifying beneficiaries through a network of participating healthcare providers and state welfare agencies operating under an HHS-approved Medicaid State Plan. The funding supports essential healthcare services including medical care, preventive services, and coverage assistance for qualified populations. As Alaska's designated Medicaid administrator, the department manages the program's quarterly funding allocations, maintains required documentation of direct and indirect costs, and ensures compliance with all federal Medicaid regulations governing medical assistance to needy individuals and families across the state.