Travel Management
Our goal is to provide quality care as close as possible to where our patients live.
Sometimes, because of the vast size of our region and the unique health conditions of individuals, travel to our hospital in Bethel or to one of our medical partners outside of the region may be required.
Medicaid provides resources that make access to advanced healthcare services possible for many customers in our region. The goal of YKHC’s Travel Management team is to improve communication between our providers, patients, and travel departments – providing more timely results for our patients over the long-term – and to offer call support seven days a week.
Medicaid Paid Travel
Medicaid is a program funded by the State of Alaska and the Federal government. The program requires all travel to be medically-justified as defined by Medicaid. To set-up any travel paid by Medicaid, a patient must:
- Make an appointment with your medical provider (in your local clinic or the Bethel hospital).
- Your medical provider will securely send your information to YKHC Prior Authorization for approval. YKHC Prior Authorization evaluates information received from the medical provider to determine if the travel is medically-justified as defined by Medicaid.
- If the travel is deemed medically-justified, the authorization is approved and securely sent back to the provider.
- The provider will let the patient know travel was approved and gives them the YKHC Travel Management phone number to book their travel. To book Medicaid travel, patients call 833-543-6625.
- In the meantime, Prior Authorization notifies Travel Management that Medicaid travel was approved – so travel can be booked when a patient calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have Medicaid travel booked, but bad weather canceled my flight. What do I do?
- Because Medicaid approves the exact flights and times a patient is scheduled for, any time weather cancels a flight, patients must contact whoever authorized their travel so it can be reauthorized through Medicaid. This will ensure any additional flight segments do not get canceled.
- If a patient is currently in the village and a flight cancels, they need to contact their local clinic’s Office Assistant to complete an update with Medicaid for their itinerary.
- If a patient is currently in Bethel and a flight cancels, they need to contact the Qavartarvik Hostel or Travel Management to complete an update with Medicaid for their itinerary.
- If a patient is in Anchorage and a flight cancels, they need to contact their medical provider (whether ANMC, Providence, etc.) to complete an update with Medicaid for their itinerary.
I missed my flight. What do I do?
- If a patient on Medicaid travel misses a flight, airlines automatically cancel remaining flight segments. Patients who miss a flight should call Travel Management at 833-543-6625.
Contact Information
Travel Management team: 833-543-6625
Qavartarvik Customer Lodge: 907-543-6725
YKHC customer shuttle: 907-543-0185
Hours
Travel line: Monday–Sunday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Available on all holidays, except Thanksgiving.
Bethel update booth: Monday – Sunday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Customer Comments
We want to hear feedback from our customers, so we know where and how we can make improvements.
Have comments, complaints or suggestions?
Please call 907-543-6024 or e-mail us at comments@ykhc.org.