December 16, 2020
2020 presented significant challenges to everyone – whether they were health related, personal, financial, political, social, professional or other, we all experienced upheaval this year. Because of these many changes, i2i felt it was important to acknowledge and highlight those in our service system who took on these challenges and were able to keep individuals…
Governor Cooper established the NC Council for Health Care Coverage. The first meeting of this bipartisan group was held on December 4th. Governor Cooper has designated the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy as the staff for the Council. The Council members heard presentations from leaders who discussed Medicaid expansion, COVID-19, uninsured and health inequities. An…
November 16, 2020
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) issued a Request for Applications for Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plans as part of North Carolina’s transition to Medicaid Managed Care. Look for i2i Summary of RFA in upcoming News Brief issue. As directed by the North Carolina General Assembly, for the first contract term,…
October 14, 2020
Census Impacts NC Public Health and Human Services On October 13th, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump Administration to end the U.S. Census count earlier than expected. The census intake process was due to wrap up at the end of October. Instead, all census intakes end at 6 a.m. Eastern Standard…
October 7, 2020
Opportunities are being made available to stakeholders to prepare for the implementation of the Medicaid Standard Plan and Tribal Option. Both plans are scheduled to go-live on July 1, 2021. NC DHHS has held several feedback sessions with stakeholders to review their planned timeline for preparation. In addition, a weekly webinar series for providers has…
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a guidance letter to state Medicaid directors on September 15th that encourages the use of value-based care (VBC) in Medicaid services. Value-based service delivery balances the quality of the services provided with the cost of the services. The value-based approach to services also incorporates non-medical…
As the State moves to Phase 3, facilities like group homes, ICF/IIDs and adult care homes may also have eased restrictions related to visitation. Governor Cooper has signed Executive Order 165 to provide NC DHHS the authority to decide the appropriate restrictions on the activities and operations in long-term care facilities. The Executive Order remains…
The year 2020 has been a whirlwind of change and adaptation with a renewed focus on long standing social inequalities that deserve resolution. It will be vital to take what we have learned in 2020 and apply these lessons in new ways as many of the changes that began in 2020 will continue into 2021…