The Department for Health and Human Services (DHHS) is moving quickly to make changes to achieve the $76 million in provider rate savings mandated by the NC General Assembly this year. A number of proposals for how to achieve that target are still being discussed. DHHS is considering multiple proposals that would make adjustments based on a physician’s specialty and other proposals that would that would create variable cuts to individual reimbursement codes. Both of these solutions would cause massive divisions within the physician community that could threaten the stability of NC Medicaid.
In a disappointing ruling, Compliance Dispute Officer Martin Quinn has determined that the pricing policy and associated actions taken by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina did not violate key provisions in the BCBS Settlement Agreement.
The State Health Director has issued a temporary order requiring North Carolina physicians to report all influenza-associated deaths in persons 18 years of age or older. Influenza deaths in children less than 18 years of age have been legally reportable since 2004. This order is necessary to enhance influenza surveillance during the current pandemic.
