A Message from NCTracks on Behalf of NC Medicaid NCDHHS Releases Specialized Foster Care Plan Policy Paper

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has released a Specialized Foster Care Plan Policy Paper which describes key design features related to foster care eligibility, enrollment, benefits and care management and quality among other areas. Comments and questions regarding the Foster Care Plan can be submitted through Feb. 25.

As part of North Carolina’s Medicaid Managed Care implementation, the State has designed the Foster Care Plan to meet the unique needs of the State’s children and youth currently and formerly involved in the child welfare system. This plan addresses many of the challenges they face today in receiving seamless, integrated and coordinated health care.

The Foster Care Plan, anticipated to launch on July 1, 2022, will operate statewide, enabling children and youth currently and formerly involved in the child welfare system to access a comprehensive array of physical and behavioral health services and maintain treatment plans when their placements change. The plan will be charged with providing care management to ensure a point of continuity in care to improve coordination of care between service providers, families, involved entities (DSS, DJJ, schools) and other stakeholders involved in serving the plan’s members.