A shift in North Carolina’s Medicaid program is sparking cynicism while doctors and hospitals are concerned it’s too early, according to The Associated Press.
On Feb. 1, a managed care benefits rollout is expected to impact 1.6 million of the 2.2 million who currently receive Medicaid in North Carolina. But questions of specifics like funding still remain unanswered as a launch date originally set for Nov. 1 has already been postponed to early 2020.
Still, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen is positive that the best budget plans could be decided on in recent weeks.
“I know that there is a package there that can work for everyone,” she said during a meeting with the House Health Committee, the Associated Press reported.
The Associated Press also reported that committee co-chairman Rep. Donny Lambeth also told Cohen that he wouldn’t be against postponing the plan even further out in 2020.
“I would advocate for some realistic review of this schedule and even considering pushing this off until July 1," Lambeth said, according to the Associated Press. "I just don't see that that's a realistic timeline with where we are today. And I know you don't want to do that. I know there's consequences of delays."
Meanwhile, 70,000 participants have selected one of the statewide or regional plans. Forty percent of medical providers who have seen Medicare patients in the past year have signed service contracts.
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