Healthcare

HB 491 prepares North Carolina's Medicaid program to implement work requirements if authorized by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It requires the state's Division of Health Benefits to negotiate with CMS, notify oversight committees within 30 days of starting talks, and submit detailed reports after CMS approves any work requirements plan. The bill does not enact work requirements itself but establishes procedures for future implementation, including timelines for reporting funding needs. This would directly affect current Medicaid recipients if CMS approves work requirements, though the bill is procedural and conditional on federal approval. The legislation is currently in committee review and has not yet become law.

HB 690, "The Citizens Support Act," directs several state and local agencies to ensure that state-funded benefits are provided only to U.S. citizens and noncitizens legally authorized to reside in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Commerce, Housing Finance Agency, and local housing authorities must develop plans to review eligibility criteria and verify the immigration status of applicants for various benefits, including housing, welfare, and medical assistance. State-funded institutions of higher education are required to adopt policies to verify applicants' legal residency for tuition and educational benefits. Additionally, the Division of Employment Security must implement a policy to verify legal residency for unemployment benefit applicants. These agencies are also mandated to report on their implementation progress and any federal laws that prevent them from denying benefits.

House Bill 618, the "Ivermectin Access Act," directs the State Health Director to issue a statewide standing order that allows licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin for human use. Under this order, pharmacists would be authorized to provide ivermectin without requiring a written prescription or consultation from a healthcare professional. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to the State Health Director for issuing the order and to any pharmacist who dispenses ivermectin in accordance with it. The State Health Director is required to issue this statewide standing order by October 1, 2025.