State Policy · NC
North Carolina Resumes Healthy Opportunities Pilot with $25M, Down from $80M Request
North Carolina is restarting its Healthy Opportunities Pilot after a one-year suspension, but with $25 million in funding — less than one-third of the $80 million the state requested. Food-related services will likely resume first, while transportation services like car repairs will not return in their previous form under the new Medicaid waiver structure. The state is still finalizing implementation details. The reduced funding marks a significant scaling back of the pilot, which provided social determinants of health services to Medicaid enrollees in selected regions.
Why it mattersThe funding cut will force North Carolina MCOs and SDOH providers to prioritize which services to offer, with narrower benefits and potentially fewer eligible members than before the pause.