Medicaid Overhaul Head Claims Work Is On Track

Medicaid in North Carolina is now being overhauled.  The director of a new agency charged with that task says the work is on schedule. 

Dee Jones says the Division of Health Benefits is on track to establish a new managed care system in two or three years.  Jones added that the agency should grow to 20 employees by June. Private consultants also have been hired.

Lawmakers finally agreed last fall on how to overhaul Medicaid.  The General Assembly and Gov. Pat McCrory agreed to replace the current fee-for-service Medicaid system with one in which commercial managed-care companies or local hospital or doctor networks are paid a flat amount for each patient they see.