Alaska Denali KidCare for a Grandchild: Eligibility and How to Apply

A child living with a grandparent or other relative in Alaska can get comprehensive health coverage through Denali KidCare — the state's combined Medicaid and CHIP program — often without the caregiver's income affecting eligibility at all. Here's how it works for kinship families.

What Denali KidCare Covers

Denali KidCare provides medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, behavioral health, and Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) services for children from birth through age 18. There's no monthly premium for children who qualify.

Income Limits and MAGI Rules

Eligibility is determined using Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) rules. Alaska sets the income ceiling for children at 177% of the federal poverty level for children who have other insurance, and 203% FPL for children without insurance. A standard 5% FPL disregard is applied at the top, making the effective limit for uninsured children reach approximately $7,151 per month for a family of four.

The household definition under MAGI rules is what matters most for kinship families:

• If a relative who is not the child's parent claims the child as a tax dependent, federal MAGI rules generally use the child's non-filer household rules; the caregiver's income is not added solely because they claimed the child or have guardianship.
• For a non-filer child under 19, the household generally includes the child and any parent or sibling under 19 who lives with them, but not a non-parent caregiver just because the child lives in that home. A one-person household is possible when no parent or sibling under 19 lives with the child.

How to Apply

You can submit an application through three channels:

1. Online via the Alaska Connect portal
2. Paper application using the Application for Services form (GEN 50C), mailed, faxed, or delivered in person to a DPA office
3. By phone through the Virtual Contact Center at 800-478-7778

Relatives with delegated authority (Form PG-701) or legal guardianship can sign the Medicaid application on the child's behalf.

Backdating Coverage

Through December 31, 2026, retroactive Medicaid eligibility may be available for up to three months before the application month if the child met eligibility criteria during those months. For applications made on or after January 1, 2027, federal law limits retroactive Medicaid coverage for children to two months before the application month; states may elect to provide up to two months of retroactive coverage for separate CHIP.

Annual Renewals

DPA uses available data to renew Medicaid when possible and sends a renewal form if it needs more information. Respond quickly to avoid a coverage gap. If a MAGI Medicaid case closes because DPA did not receive renewal information, Alaska allows the information to be submitted within 90 days of closure without a new application; eligibility is redetermined back to the closure date.

Federal Work Requirements for Adult Caregivers

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21), federal Medicaid community engagement rules are currently scheduled to begin January 1, 2027 for certain non-exempt adults ages 19 to 64 in the Medicaid expansion group. Alaska has asked the federal government for more time; if approved, the rules will start later. Applicable adults may meet the requirement through 80 hours a month of qualifying work, job training, volunteering, community service, or other approved activities; half-time education or the income standard may also qualify.

Alaska says the caregiver exclusion may apply to a parent, guardian, caretaker relative, or family caregiver of a dependent child age 13 or younger or a disabled individual. The specific rules depend on the caregiving situation. Make sure DPA codes your exemption correctly during your 2027 redetermination.

Apply for Everything at Once

The Application for Services is a unified application — the paper form is GEN 50C — and covers Denali KidCare, ATAP cash assistance, SNAP food benefits, and General Relief Assistance in a single filing. There's no reason to apply for these programs separately.

Our Alaska Kinship Financial Help guide includes a program-by-program eligibility breakdown and a document checklist tailored to kinship families applying for Denali KidCare.

See more Alaska guides →