Topics Related to Health Benefits (NC Medicaid)

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced recent updates to the NC State Health Improvement Plan, which includes priorities for addressing the full set of factors that impact a person’s health and updates data on the progress of improvement.

PRESS RELEASE – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services received final federal approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services so North Carolina can launch Medicaid Expansion on Dec. 1, 2023.

PRESS RELEASE — Beginning Dec. 1, 2023, more than 600,000 people in North Carolina will be able to apply for health coverage through NC Medicaid. To ensure people know about the expanded eligibility for NC Medicaid, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services launched a new website with a toolkit of resources for organizations to spread the word to their communities.

PRESS RELEASE — Governor Roy Cooper and NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley today announced NCDHHS will launch Medicaid Expansion on Dec. 1, 2023, giving more than 600,000 North Carolinians access to health care.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is moving forward with Medicaid expansion and announcing the anticipated start date of Oct. 1, 2023. This announcement is part of a compromise agreement NCDHHS obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that will allow the department to move forward with the required public notices for beneficiaries, counties and providers while still awaiting authority from the NC General Assembly.

More than 61,000 services have been delivered to over 8,500 NC Medicaid members across 33 counties as part of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (NC HOP) since the program began in March 2022.

This is a momentous agreement that will directly improve the health and well-being of 600,000 North Carolinians. We applaud the efforts by the General Assembly to move this forward. Medicaid expansion will be transformative for access to health care in rural areas, for better mental health and for veterans, working adults and their families. For these people, today’s agreement is life changing.

Due to a change at the federal level, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will begin Medicaid beneficiary recertifications that could result in coverage termination or a reduction in benefits.

To ensure nearly 150,000 people seamlessly receive care on day one, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will delay the implementation of the NC Medicaid Managed Care Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plans. The launch was scheduled for April 1 and is now targeted for Oct. 1, 2023.

On April 1, 2023, approximately 55,000 children receiving NC Health Choice coverage will move to NC Medicaid and begin receiving additional physical and behavioral health services. This change will help save families money and increase access to care.