CMS Approves North Carolina Medicaid Expansion for School-Based Behavioral Health Services

CMS approved North Carolina's request to expand Medicaid coverage for preventive and behavioral health services delivered in schools, with a focus on rural areas. The approval allows the state to reimburse schools for services provided to Medicaid-enrolled students, expanding access to mental health counseling, substance use disorder screening, and preventive care in educational settings. The expansion takes effect immediately and applies statewide with targeted outreach to rural school districts. This matters for North Carolina Medicaid managed care plans and providers because it creates new service delivery sites, reimbursement pathways, and network adequacy considerations for pediatric behavioral health in school settings.

Behavioral Health · Managed Care