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Senior and Disabilities Services
Our mission is to promote health, well being and safety for individuals with disabilities, seniors and vulnerable adults by facilitating access to quality services and supports that foster independence, personal choice and dignity.
Headlines
2024
June 18, 2024 - Flexibilities Allowed Under the Public Health Emergency Ending on June 30, 2024
A Public Health Emergency (PHE) was declared by the federal government in March 2020 in response to COVID. Subsequent federal approvals gave Alaska the flexibility to respond to the emergency by allowing specific actions that were not previously allowed. The PHE ended on May 11, 2023, and Alaska received federal approval to continue these flexibilities until June 30, 2024. Alaska took additional steps during the PHE to make some flexibilities permanent, effective July 1, 2024. More information is available by reading our Flexibilities Made Permanent FAQ.
2023
April 20, 2023 - Public Health Emergency Ending
The COVID-19 public health emergency is set to expire on May 11, 2023. This means that the flexibilities permitted during the PHE will end, but the end date will vary depending on the type of flexibility approved by CMS. Find out more on the Alaska Department of Health’s
Public Health Emergency Ending website.
2022
SDS Delivers Final Plan to Eliminate the IDD Waitlist to the Legislature
- The FY23 budget bill (House Bill 281) passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor included intent language directing the Department of Health to develop a plan and cost estimates to eradicate the waiting list for waivers serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) within five years.
The
eradication plan was delivered to the Alaska Legislature on December 20, 2022.
SDS thanks the many stakeholders who attended work sessions and provided comment on earlier versions.
Stakeholders can view recordings of the all three work sessions to review and provide comment on the draft on
our YouTube channel.
2021
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