CMS Approves North Carolina’s 1115 Medicaid Managed Care Waiver, Ending The Behavioral Health Carve-Out

On October 19, 2018, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved North Carolina’s 1115 Medicaid waiver demonstration to implement integrated managed care ending the state’s behavioral health carve-out, phase in tailored vertical health plans for certain populations, expand addiction treatment benefits, and address the social determinants of health. The waiver will go into effect on November 1, 2019, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) anticipates launching the first phase of the waiver in mid-2019.

The waiver allows the following changes to be made to the state Medicaid program . . .