NC Medicaid Issues RFA for Medicaid Managed Care Behavioral Health and I/DD Tailored Plans

On Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) issued a Request for Applications for Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plans as part of North Carolina’s transition to Medicaid Managed Care.

As directed by the North Carolina General Assembly, for the first contract term, only LME/MCOs are eligible to respond to the RFA to serve as Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plans. The first Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plan contract term will last four years. NCDHHS will award no more than seven and no fewer than five regional Behavioral Health and I/DD Tailed Plan contracts and will not award any statewide tailored plan contracts. 

Behavioral Health and I/DD Tailored Plans will provide physical health, behavioral health, long-term care, pharmacy services and unmet health related resource needs to qualifying North Carolinians under one plan. These plans will provide the same services as Standard Plans but will also provide additional specialized services that serve individuals with significant behavioral health conditions, I/DDs and traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Standard Plans and the ECBI Tribal Option will launch first on July 1, 2021, followed by Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plans on July 1, 2022. NCDHHS expects to award Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plan contracts by early Summer 2021.