This news item expired on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
On November 19, 2019, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced that open enrollment for NC Medicaid has been suspended. In light of this announcement; future Buncombe County Medicaid Health Plan Information Sessions (initially scheduled on Nov 25 & Nov 26) will be cancelled. More information about this recent development can be found on the NCDHHS website at www.medicaid.ncdhhs.gov.
As outlined in the State’s press release: “NC Medicaid will continue to operate under the current fee-for-service model administered by the department. Nothing will change for Medicaid beneficiaries; they will get health services as they do today. Behavioral health services will continue to be provided by Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations. All health providers enrolled in Medicaid are still part of the program and will continue to bill the state through NCTracks.”
According to NCDHHS, the Medicaid Managed Care Call Center (833-870-5500) will stay open through Dec. 13, 2019 to answer questions but will no longer enroll beneficiaries in a health plan. Notices will be sent to beneficiaries informing them to continue accessing health services as they do now, rather than through new health plans.
What does this mean for Medicaid recipients in Buncombe County? It means that Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) will continue to provide access to Medicaid benefits as normal. We remain committed to providing critical information to our community and you can continue to call or visit us if you have questions about your benefits or if you are interested in applying for Medicaid benefits. Our office is located at 40 Coxe Avenue in Downtown Asheville and we can be reached by phone during normal business hours at (828) 250-5500. More information is available at www.buncombecounty.org/publicassistance.
We will continue to keep our community informed about any new developments related to Medicaid benefits. For more information on the many benefits that BCHHS provides, visit www.buncombecounty.org/hhs.