Topics Related to Health Benefits (NC Medicaid)

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.

Nearly 24,000 services have been delivered to nearly 3,000 NC Medicaid beneficiaries as part of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots since the program began in March 2022.

Residents in Moore County who have missed the Dec. 7 deadline to join, switch or drop a Medicare health plan or drug plan coverage due to the widespread power outage will still be able to sign up after today.

To ensure beneficiaries can 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 until April 1, 2023.