Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the first influenza-associated pediatric death for the 2019–2020 flu season. A child in the western part of the state died in December from complications associated with influenza infection.

On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the HealthCare.gov 2020 enrollment period reopened and North Carolinians now have until 3 a.m. on Dec. 18 to sign up for health insurance coverage.

Governor Roy Cooper today reminded North Carolinians who need health insurance or need to re-enroll or change plans for 2020 coverage to sign up before the December 15 deadline. Many people who get their insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace get help paying for their premiums and may also be able to get help with copayments and deductibles.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is expanding services at the Walter B. Jones Center to include outpatient opioid treatment for residents of eastern North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will begin accepting applications through county social services departments for the state's Low-Income Energy Assistance Program on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019.

A new federal grant will help North Carolina partner with local justice systems — including local law enforcement, courts and others — to prevent opioid overdoses and connect people to treatment. Governor Roy Cooper announced today that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was awarded $6.5 million over the next three years by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced that because the NC General Assembly did not take needed action, managed care implementation and open enrollment for NC Medicaid must be suspended. The General Assembly adjourned last week without providing required new spending and program authority for the transition to managed care. Managed care will not go live on Feb. 1, 2020.

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Office of Rural Health (ORH) has awarded 23 grants for disaster preparedness to health care providers affected by Hurricane Florence.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services has released county data for the 10 goals and more than 50 measures that are part of the state's Early Childhood Action Plan. These new data reports are available for all 100 counties and cover issues such as infant mortality, food and housing security, emergency room visits, child health, foster care, early learning and early literacy.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services submitted an annual report to the legislature on Nov. 1 highlighting significant progress in the Transition to Community Living Initiative (TCLI) to assist people with mental illness find housing and services in the community.