A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CONTROL UTILIZATION AND COST IN THE NC HEALTH CHOICE PROGRAM.
Whereas, it is in the interest of the State to control rising utilization and health care costs in the NC Health Choice Program; and
Whereas, Community Care of North Carolina maintains an existing primary care case management system that manages utilization and costs for the State's Medicaid population; and
Whereas, the Community Care of North Carolina network provides disease management and cost control methods that can help the State control utilization and costs in the NC Health Choice Program; and
Whereas, the use of Community Care of North Carolina network will be budget‑neutral due to savings in the NC Health Choice Program resulting from increase case management; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 108A‑70.21 is amended by adding the following new subsection to read:
"(i)	Case Management Services. – The Department shall utilize the Community Care of North Carolina network to provide primary care case management and disease management services to Program enrollees. The costs of providing the case management and disease management services shall be paid from Program funds. Payments made to primary care physicians and disease management networks in the Community Care of North Carolina network shall be equal to the level of compensation paid by the Medical Assistance Program for similar services."
SECTION 2.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall report on the progress of NC Health Choice case management activities to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division not later than October 1, 2005.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.