If you're looking into care for someone you love in Alaska, you might be juggling a lot of new words and phone numbers. This page puts the basics in one place. It points only to free, official resources. We don't recommend or rank any agency.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates; CMS Provider Data Catalog Home Health Care Agencies (July 2026 file) and Hospice General Information (August 2026 file). Agency counts are a statistic only, not a recommendation. A count doesn't tell you about quality or whether an agency serves your area.
Three kinds of care, in plain words
Which kind of care fits? A quick guide
- Home health is short-term skilled care at home, like a nurse or therapist, ordered by a doctor. Agencies that bill Medicare must be Medicare-certified and follow federal rules.
- In-home care (sometimes called home care, personal care or attendant care) is help with daily life: bathing, dressing, meals and companionship. Families usually pay for it themselves, unless your loved one qualifies for a program like Alaskans Living Independently (below).
- Hospice is comfort-focused care for someone with a terminal illness, usually given at home.
Alaska at a glance
Alaska had about 0.1 million residents 65 and older in 2025 (16.2% of the state), up from 0.1 million in 2020.
Note: Civilian population. 85+ grew from 6,584 to 8,199. U.S. share 65+: 19.0%.
What care costs in Alaska
Full-time paid in-home help (44 hours a week) had a median cost of about $86,944 a year in Alaska in 2025, vs. $80,080 nationally.
Note: Median of provider-reported rates; 44 hours/week x 52 weeks. Costs vary a lot by city and by hours. Figure taken from published CareScout state data (retrieved Oct. 2, 2026).
Costs vary a lot by city, by how many hours you need, and by what kind of help is needed. Many families start with a few hours a week rather than full-time care.
Medicare: what it covers at home
Medicare's rules are the same in every state. According to Medicare.gov, Medicare covers part-time or intermittent skilled care at home for people who are homebound (leaving home takes a major effort). A doctor or other provider must see your loved one in person and order the care, and a Medicare-certified agency must provide it. You pay nothing for covered home health visits.
Medicare doesn't pay for 24-hour care at home, meal delivery, homemaker services unrelated to the care plan, or personal care when that's the only help someone needs.
Hospice: Medicare covers hospice for people with a terminal illness who choose comfort care. It's usually provided at home (Medicare.gov).
In 2024, 3.2% of Alaska's Original Medicare enrollees used home health (3,731 people) and 1.3% of Medicare Part A enrollees used hospice (1,497 people).
Note: Home health counts cover Original Medicare only (not Medicare Advantage). Hospice counts include all Part A enrollees. Orange = U.S. comparison.
If your loved one has a Medicare Advantage plan, the plan's rules for home health apply. Call the plan or Alaska's free SHIP counselors (below) to check.
Medicaid help at home in Alaska
Medicaid can pay for long-term help at home for people who qualify medically and financially. Income and asset limits change, so we don't list dollar amounts here. Please check the official pages.
Alaskans Living Independently (ALI) Waiver
Run by: Alaska Department of Health, Division of Senior and Disabilities Services. Official page: health.alaska.gov
- The ALI waiver is for adults 21+ who need nursing-facility level care and want to stay at home or in the community.
- Applicants must meet Medicaid income and resource limits (set by the Division of Public Assistance) and a level-of-care assessment.
- People apply through an SDS-certified care coordinator. Applications are processed by the state's Central Application Processing Unit.
Help for veterans
- VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits add a monthly amount to a VA pension for veterans and survivors who need help with daily activities or are mostly homebound (VA.gov).
- The VA also offers home-based programs like homemaker and home health aide care and respite. Ask your VA social worker. The VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET).
- The Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs can help with VA benefit claims (veterans.alaska.gov, 888-248-3682). Listed in VA's directory of state veterans offices.
Free, official places to call
| What you need | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| Local aging services, caregiver support, meals, respite | Your Area Agency on Aging: find it through the Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116 |
| Free, unbiased Medicare counseling | Medicare Information Office: 1-800-478-6065 (TTY: 1-800-770-8973) |
| Suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult | Alaska Adult Protective Services: 907-269-3666 (NAPSA directory) |
| Medicaid home care programs | Alaskans Living Independently: see health.alaska.gov |
| Compare Medicare-certified home health agencies and hospices | Medicare Care Compare (medicare.gov/care-compare) |
If someone is in danger or has a medical emergency, call 911. For an emotional crisis, call or text 988 (veterans: 988, then press 1).
What this means for your family
- Start with the doctor. Ask whether your loved one might qualify for Medicare home health, and ask for the list of agencies that serve your area. Medicare.gov says providers should give you one.
- Call SHIP (1-800-478-6065) for free help understanding Medicare or Medicare Advantage rules.
- If daily help is needed for the long term, read the official page for Alaskans Living Independently and ask your Area Agency on Aging to explain the steps.
- Before choosing any agency, look it up on Medicare Care Compare, ask the agency for its state license, and ask your Area Agency on Aging how to check it.
- Take care of yourself, too. Ask your Area Agency on Aging about respite and caregiver support.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Home health services
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services - Medicare.gov: Hospice care
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-care - Alaska Department of Health: HCBS Waivers
https://health.alaska.gov/en/services/hcbs-waivers/ - CMS: Medicare & You 2027 handbook, SHIP contacts (Section 9)
https://www.medicare.gov/publications/10050-medicare-and-you.pdf - NAPSA: Adult Protective Services, help in your area
https://www.napsa-now.org/help-in-your-area/ - VA: State Departments of Veterans Affairs office locations
https://department.va.gov/about/state-departments-of-veterans-affairs-office-locations/ - VA: Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/ - Eldercare Locator (ACL)
https://eldercare.acl.gov/ - CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, state data
https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care - U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 state population estimates by age
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-detail.html - CMS Provider Data Catalog: Home Health Care Agencies and Hospice files
https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/ - CMS Program Statistics: Medicare Home Health Agency and Hospice tables, 2024
https://data.cms.gov/summary-statistics-on-use-and-payments/medicare-service-type-reports
This is general information to help you think things through. It isn't medical, legal or financial advice. For your family's situation, please talk with your loved one's doctor or a benefits counselor. In an emergency, call 911.