Alaska Workers’ Compensation Guide 2026

Report a 2025 or later injury in writing within 15 days

Effective January 1, 2025, the injured worker—or someone acting after a death—must report a work injury, illness or death to the supervisor in writing no later than 15 days after the event or after discovering its work relationship. Injuries before 2025 used a 30-day notice period. Report immediately rather than treating the deadline as a target.

Ask the employer for a copy of the injury report and follow the reporting method required by its insurer or administrator. The Division’s current forms page lists the Report of Occupational Injury or Illness as Form 07-6101 and notes that administrators may use their own reporting procedure. Record the date, time, place, mechanism, affected body parts, witnesses and the person notified. A report of injury is not the same as a formal claim for disputed benefits.

Obtain care and protect the attending-physician record

Get necessary care promptly and tell the provider that the condition is work-related. Alaska guidance states that the worker may choose the attending physician and may change that physician once without employer consent, but must notify the employer before the change. A referral to a specialist is not treated as a change.

Keep work-status reports, restrictions, referrals, prescriptions, bills, mileage logs and receipts. Ask the physician to send the required report, and give the administrator wage records when disability lasts more than three days. A second unapproved physician change can jeopardize payment and the weight given to that doctor’s opinions.

The administrator normally has 21 days to pay or controvert

Within 21 days after the employer learns of the injury, the insurer or administrator must generally begin paying past and continuing benefits or file a Controversion Notice explaining the denial. The first disability payment is due 14 days after employer knowledge and later payments are normally issued every 14 days.

A Controversion Notice is not the end of the case. Read its stated reasons and deadlines, preserve the envelope or transmission date, and identify the exact medical, wage or causation evidence being challenged.

Benefits address treatment, wage loss, impairment and return to work

Use the Alaska calculator for a transparent TTD/PTD or TPD estimate after the spendable weekly wage has been established.

Use the correct document and preserve proof of service

Form 07-6106 is used to claim denied or unpaid benefits. A pre-claim controversion can start a two-year period to file the claim, and other two-year rules can run from the last disability payment or a post-claim controversion. Uninsured-employer claims against the Benefits Guaranty Fund also require timely filing. These deadlines are fact-specific, so do not wait for informal negotiations to finish.

Alaska requires parties to serve copies of most filings on the opposing parties and certify when and how service occurred. Form 07-6107 requests a hearing when the case is ready; Form 07-6111 is used for petitions, including some requests for more time or protective orders. Record every filing, service and deadline independently.