Following a competitive procurement, Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) was engaged to review DHSS’ long-term care services. DHSS’ long-term care programs are administered primarily by the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services (SDS) and the Division of Alaska Pioneer Homes. The Division of Health Care Services’ budget contains Medicaid long‑term care funding appropriations, but the administration of programs is mainly overseen by SDS.
PCG was tasked with 10 separate review objectives spanning all facets of DHSS’ long term care programs. The study began in November 2014 and encompassed reviews of available data and reports, visits to long-term care facilities, attendance at public forums, and interviews with state staff, long-term care providers, and interested parties and stakeholders. The report represents the culmination of PCG’s work on this performance review.
Key findings and recommendations are summarized into the following categories.
Table of Potential Statutory and Regulatory Changes
The review highlights several areas where statutory or regulatory changes should be considered.
| Recommendation Number | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 5.9 | The Department should have regulatory authority increased to enforce CON violations. Currently, the Department has limited enforcement ability to regulate providers who do not appropriately comply with the CON process. |
| 6.9 | Alaska should implement an assessment fee to further capture federal dollars. To align with peer states and national trends, Alaska should explore a provider assessment imposed on hospitals, nursing homes, and/or assisted living facilities, including the Alaska Pioneer Homes. |
| 10.6 | Criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud should be increased. |