North Carolina Medicaid Contracts With First-Ever Indian Managed Care Entity

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) contracted with the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) to create an Indian managed care entity for the state’s transition to Medicaid managed care, which launches on July 1, 2021, with the rollout of the Standard Plans. The new managed care entity is establishing a new health care delivery system called the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Tribal Option.

The state has been planning to implement Medicaid managed care since 2015. The legislature directed NCDHHS to shift Medicaid and NC Health Choice from fee-for-service to comprehensive managed . . .