Head For New NC Medicaid Agency Named

Medicaid in North Carolina has its first key leader.  The new Medicaid agency will implement a new spending and treatment model for the health benefit.

Rick Brayjer, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services told employees Thursday that Dee Jones is the chief operating officer for the new Division of Health Benefits.

Jones has worked in the private sector and in state government, most recently as the Division of Medical Assistance operations director.

The medical assistance division ultimately will cede Medicaid oversight to the health benefits agency through a Medicaid overhaul law signed earlier this month. A new law directs the phase-out of the fee-for-service method to treat Medicaid clients for a program in which insurers and provider networks receive a fixed amount per month for each patient.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.