Patient enrollment begins for NC Medicaid managed care shift

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s Medicaid recipients now can decide which health plan they’ll use for medical services when a system overhaul goes online July 1.

Open enrollment for Medicaid managed care began this week and ends May 14.

About 1.8 million people covered by Medicaid or a related program should enroll and choose from one of several plans. People who don’t will be placed in a plan automatically. The state is switching from a traditional fee-for-service program to one in which health plans receive fixed monthly payments for every patient treated.

Managed care supporters believe it will control expenses and result in healthier patients.