Alaska · state plan
Personal Care Services (PCS) in Alaska
Personal Care Services is an Alaska Medicaid state plan benefit that pays a personal care assistant to help with bathing, dressing, eating, shopping, laundry and light housework. In the consumer-directed option, the member picks, hires and supervises their own assistant, who can be an adult child or other relative, and a provider agency handles payroll. Spouses, parents of minors and legal guardians cannot be paid under State Plan PCS.
Also called: PCS · State Plan Personal Care Services · PCA program Alaska · CDPCS · consumer-directed personal care · CDPCA · agency-based personal care · ABPCA
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- $24–$26/hr
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Not right now
- Parent of a minor child
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- none
Who qualifies for PCS
- Enrolled in Alaska Medicaid.
- Needs hands-on help with daily activities, as measured by a Division of Senior and Disabilities Services (SDS) assessment.
- Lives in their own home (not an assisted living home).
- Full criteria are in the state's PCS Conditions of Participation.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- in the consumer-directed option, adult children and other relatives can be hired as the personal care assistant.
- Spouse Not right now
- SDS says legally responsible individuals (spouses, parents of minors, legal guardians) are not permitted to provide State Plan PCS, per CMS. Spouses can be paid under Community First Choice instead.
- Parent of a minor child Not right now
- parents of minor children are legally responsible individuals and cannot be paid for State Plan PCS.
- Living together
- the assistant may or may not live with the member.
Who employs the caregiver: Either. Agency-based PCS: the agency hires and supervises. Consumer-directed PCS: the member hires, trains, supervises and fires, and a consumer-directed provider agency acts as the fiscal agent.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Alaska.
How much PCS pays
$24–$26/hr. Alaska does not publish a family-caregiver wage for PCS. The wage is set by the consumer-directed provider agency out of the Medicaid personal care rate; aggregators report an average of about $24–$26/hour.
Hours and budget: SDS assesses the member's needs and approves a service plan that sets the amount of personal care time.
Compare with other Alaska programs on the Alaska caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
PCS is a Medicaid state plan benefit, so there is no waitlist; approval can take about three months.
How to apply for PCS
- Contact a PCS provider agency or SDS to complete the PCA-08 Initial Application.
- An SDS assessor visits to measure what help you need.
- Choose agency-based or consumer-directed care; in consumer-directed care, pick your assistant and enroll them with the agency.
- Renew each year with the PCA-08 Renewal Application.
- Alaska Division of Senior and Disabilities Services · 907-269-3666 · official site
- SDS toll-free · 1-800-478-9996 · official site
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PCS questions
Can I get paid to care for my parent in Alaska?
Yes. Under consumer-directed Personal Care Services, your parent can hire you as their personal care assistant, and a provider agency pays you.
Can a spouse be paid under Alaska PCS?
No. SDS says spouses, parents of minors and legal guardians cannot provide State Plan PCS. A spouse may be able to be paid under Community First Choice personal care instead.
What form do I use to apply?
The PCA-08 Initial Application. Current members renew with the PCA-08 Renewal Application.
How much do PCS caregivers earn?
The state does not publish a wage. The provider agency sets it from the Medicaid rate; averages are reported around $24–$26 an hour.
Is there a waitlist for PCS?
No. PCS is a state plan benefit, though processing can take around three months.
Sources: health.alaska.gov · health.alaska.gov · medicaidplanningassistance.org · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Alaska caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Alaska — pick yours for the local picture.