This North Carolina bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to create a three-tiered program for individuals waiting for the state's Innovations waiver. The proposed plan would offer three levels of financial assistance: a benefit capped at $25,000, one capped at $75,000, and a full waiver benefit, with the specific details to be determined through consultation with local managed care organizations and other stakeholders. To fund the initial development of this plan, the legislation appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Additionally, the bill requires a report on the final plan to be submitted to several legislative committees by December 1, 2026.
This bill modifies North Carolina's sales tax laws to exempt feminine hygiene products, diapers, and groceries from state and local sales taxes. It specifically adds items like tampons, menstrual cups, and sanitary napkins to the list of tax-free feminine hygiene goods and clarifies that certain grooming products such as soap and shampoo remain taxable. Additionally, the legislation ensures that children's and adult diapers purchased with a prescription from a Medicaid provider are not subject to sales tax. The bill also includes a provision to distribute $1.6 million in state funds to regional councils of government to inform the public about these new tax exemptions.
This bill aims to improve access to dental care in North Carolina by increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to dentists. Starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the state will allocate $80 million from the General Fund to raise these payment rates, which have not significantly changed since 2008. The legislation seeks to encourage more private dental providers to join the Medicaid program, thereby expanding the network of available dentists for patients. By making it more financially viable for dentists to accept Medicaid, the bill intends to help reduce the number of people relying on emergency departments for urgent dental needs.
This bill proposes raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care providers in North Carolina to match the rates paid by Medicare. To fund these increases, the state would allocate $48 million from its General Fund starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The changes would take effect on July 1, 2026, and would apply to primary care services as defined by a specific state task force report.
This North Carolina bill aims to improve menopause care by funding research, expanding insurance coverage, and protecting workers from discrimination related to menopausal symptoms. It directs the state health department to evaluate current medical knowledge, collect data on symptom prevalence, and create a strategic plan to address gaps in care, particularly for underserved populations. The legislation also incentivizes doctors to receive extra continuing education credits for studying menopause and mandates that Medicaid and private health insurers cover necessary treatments like hormone therapy and behavioral health services. Additionally, the bill includes provisions to prevent employment discrimination based on menopause and allocates five million dollars to fund these initiatives and public awareness campaigns.
This North Carolina bill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for personal care services and private duty nursing starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The legislation allocates $120.8 million in state funds to raise the payment for personal care services to $7.50 per 15-minute increment, while also increasing the rate for private duty nursing to $16.25 per 15-minute increment. These higher rates are intended to cover additional federal matching funds, ensuring that providers receive more money for each hour of care delivered to eligible beneficiaries. The changes apply to various programs including the State Plan Personal Care Services Program and Community Alternatives Programs for children and adults.
HB 1141 allocates over one billion dollars in state funding to adjust Medicaid payments for North Carolina starting in 2025, ensuring the program can cover rising costs and new services. The bill also permits Medicaid managed care plans to create exclusive networks of providers specifically for research-based behavioral health treatments, while requiring all other essential services to remain available to all providers in the area. Additionally, the legislation removes specific rules that could cause people enrolled in Medicaid expansion to lose their coverage, thereby stabilizing access to care for this population.
This North Carolina bill establishes a legal right for patients to access assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization, and protects healthcare providers from state interference when offering these services. The legislation explicitly states that fertilized eggs or embryos outside the human body are not considered human beings under state law, while also maintaining existing health and safety regulations for medical facilities. Additionally, the bill appropriates $500,000 in state funds to increase financial support for the Medicaid Maternal Support Services program, known as the Baby Love Program, starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
This bill expands access to North Carolina's Innovations waiver for families with children who have significant medical needs by adding 6,635 new slots and funding them with $240 million starting in 2026. It also modifies the Opportunity Scholarship Program to prioritize students from lower-income households by capping eligibility at 200% of the federal free lunch income threshold and adjusting grant amounts based on family income levels. To support these changes, the legislation reduces the overall scholarship fund by $240 million while simultaneously directing substantial recurring funding to the program's reserve for the next 15 years.
This bill allocates $319 million from the state's General Fund to North Carolina's Medicaid program to cover anticipated changes in enrollment, service costs, and federal funding rates. The money is designated for the Department of Health and Human Services to use starting in the 2025-2027 fiscal year, with the funding officially beginning retroactively on July 1, 2025. By adjusting available funds based on projected healthcare shifts, the legislation aims to ensure the Medicaid program has sufficient resources to operate as demographics and costs evolve.
