Have your say as state moves Medicaid to private managed care

May 14--RALEIGH -- People can have their say on state Medicaid reform Tuesday evening at a public input session in Raleigh hosted by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The comments, DHHS says, will help inform the department as it moves to having private companies manage the government health insurance programs for poor and disabled people.

"Our goal is to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. Our department values an open and collaborative process with our stakeholder community to build a strong, efficient Medicaid program," DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a press release.

The department says it hopes to get input on how to improve the quality of care and "care for the whole person to improve physical and mental health." Specifically, DHHS wants comments on how health care providers can transition to managed care, and on increasing access to substance abuse treatment.

This will be the last of four sessions held across the state, according to DHHS, to collect comment on transforming Medicaid and the NC Health Choice programs. NC Health Choice gives subsidized health insurance to poor children.

In the past weeks, DHHS has hosted similar public input sessions in Greensboro, Greenville and Asheville.

The effort to move to private managed care for the heath care programs is still in the early stages. The change will require federal approval.

The North Carolina General Assembly passed a law to reform the Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs in 2015 and amended the law last year. "The legislation called for most Medicaid services to be delivered using a managed care system instead of the current fee-for-service," according to DHHS.

People who want to give their comments to DHHS in person can register to speak at the venue that night and will be given two minutes to make a statement. The session will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the McKimmon Conference & Training Center, 1101 Gorman St.

The department is also taking written comments on its website and by mail through May 25. Written comments can be mailed to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits, 1950 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1950; or delivered in person at the Department of Health and Human Services, Dorothea Dix Campus, Adams Building, 101 Blair Drive, Raleigh.

Duncan: 919-829-4880, @duncanreporting

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