Up to 300,000 people receiving notifications of full Medicaid benefits

Medicaid expansion starts Dec. 1

By The Daily Record / November 8, 2023

RALEIGH — On Monday, Nov. 6, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services began contacting up to 300,000 people who are enrolled in Medicaid’s limited Family Planning program and who are eligible for full NC Medicaid benefits starting Dec. 1. 

Text messages, phone calls and emails will be sent by the department etting those eligible know to look out for a letter from their local Department of Social Services. 

“Getting eligible North Carolinians registered for Medicaid expansion is a top priority, and it’s monumental that we can automatically enroll up to 300,000 people whose coverage will go into effect Dec. 1,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “As we prepare for more people to sign up, we want to make sure automatic enrollees look for information that’s coming in the mail.”

People currently receiving Family Planning benefits who will qualify for full Medicaid coverage will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid on Dec. 1. Those who are eligible for full Medicaid benefits will:

• Get a letter from their local Department of Social Services letting them know they will start getting full Medicaid coverage 

• Be assigned a health plan 

• Receive a packet from their health plan in the mail that includes a new Medicaid ID card 

• Additionally, anyone with health coverage through HealthCare.gov will need to cancel their plan once they are enrolled in NC Medicaid.  

“We are bringing health care coverage within reach to hundreds of thousands of people. That includes up to 300,000 people currently enrolled in Family Planning benefits who will be automatically enrolled in full coverage next month,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We hope this outreach proactively shares information with North Carolinians who will soon have access to comprehensive health care.”

Family Planning Medicaid provides reproductive health care at no cost to people with incomes up to 195% of the federal poverty line — an income of about $2,370 a month for a single person.

Not everyone with limited Family Planning Program benefits will be automatically enrolled in full coverage through NC Medicaid. Some people may have income that exceeds the new Medicaid eligibility levels, even though qualifying income levels are higher than the past. If your income has recently changed and you think you may be eligible, update your information in ePASS or by contacting your local Department of Social Services.

Use ePASS or your local DSS office to make sure your contact information is up to date, so you do not miss important information about your benefits.

For more information about the expanded eligibility for NC Medicaid, NCDHHS launched a new website with a toolkit of resources for organizations to spread the word to their communities. 

To receive NC Medicaid updates, an alert when the application process goes live and other timely resources, complete the NC Medicaid sign-up form online.