Medicaid waivers for autism in Alaska
Alaskans of any age with autism, an intellectual disability or a developmental disability who meet ICF/IID level of care.
- Main program
- IDD Waiver, entered through the DD Registry
- Typical wait
- 721 on the registry with about 50 taken off a year — an implied 14+ years
- Administered by
- Alaska Department of Health, Senior and Disabilities Services, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Unit
- Phone
- Aging & Disability Resource Center: 1-877-625-2372
- Age rules
- Ages 0 and up.
How to get on the list
Complete a Developmental Disability Determination Application. Once determined to experience an IDD, submit a current Developmental Disabilities Registration and Review (DDRR) form, which is scored and placed on the DD Registry. Call the Aging & Disability Resource Center on 1-877-625-2372 for help — given the scoring, help is worth having.
Open the official Alaska page →Does autism qualify?
Autism is explicitly named in the IDD waiver's target population, from birth with no upper age limit.
How the waiting list works
Alaska's process has two steps that families frequently merge, and merging them costs time. First you complete a Developmental Disability Determination to establish that you experience an intellectual or developmental disability. Only then do you submit a Developmental Disabilities Registration and Review form, which is scored and places you on the DD Registry — the waitlist. The scoring matters: this is not a pure date queue, so how thoroughly the DDRR captures your circumstances affects your position, and it is worth completing with help rather than alone. The arithmetic is stark. Around 721 people are on the registry and roughly 50 are taken off each year for the chance to apply for the waiver, which implies a wait beyond fourteen years. Alaska has published a plan for eradicating the IDD waitlist, so ask the Aging & Disability Resource Center on 1-877-625-2372 what its current status is rather than planning around the historic rate. On income, you can qualify with up to the equivalent of 300 percent of the SSI federal benefit rate, which is more generous than many states.
- On the DD Registry721
- Taken off each yearabout 50
- Implied wait14+ years
- Income limitup to 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate
What it can pay for
- Day habilitation
- Respite
- Supported employment
- Residential habilitation
- Care coordination
- Specialized medical equipment
Other programs worth knowing
Plan for eradicating the IDD waitlist
Alaska has published such a plan. Ask what stage it has reached before assuming the historic 50-a-year rate still applies.
Alaskaproviders & resources →
Local help you can access now, while you wait.
Waivers explained →
What to do while you're on the list, and what to ask.
Sources · last checked August 2026
- Alaska DOH — apply for developmental disability determination
- Alaska DOH — Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Unit
- Alaska DOH — IDD registration and review report FY2025 (PDF)
- Alaska DOH — plan for eradicating the IDD waitlist (PDF)
Waiting lists and eligibility rules change. Always confirm current details with the agency before making decisions. If something here is out of date, tell us.