A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the program evaluation division to study changes to the state health plan and to Direct The Department of Health and Human Services to study changes to the Medicaid program that will increase preventative health services, improve health outcomes, and lower the cost of care, as recommended by the Legislative Research Commission.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee shall include in the work plan of the Program Evaluation Division an evaluation of the State Health Plan to determine whether there are changes that will increase preventative health services, improve health outcomes, and lower the overall cost of care. The alternatives studied should include evaluation of the direct primary care model. The Program Evaluation Division shall contract with consultants for the study. The study shall determine the following: (i) the contract options for improving primary care physician quality of life in a rural setting that include, but are not limited to, a direct primary care type payment model and (ii) the total cost implications and legislation needed to implement recommendations. The Program Evaluation Division shall report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee on or before September 1, 2018.
SECTION 2.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall study whether there are changes to the State Medicaid Program that will increase preventative health services, improve health outcomes, and lower the overall cost of care. The alternatives studied should include evaluation of the direct primary care model. The study shall determine the following: (i) how options will relate to the outcome measures that will be included in Prepaid Health Plan contracts under the transformed Medicaid program, (ii) the contract options for improving primary care physician quality of life in a rural setting that include, but are not limited to, a direct primary care type payment model, and (iii) the total cost implications and legislation needed to implement recommendations. The Department of Health and Human Services shall report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid and NC Health Choice on or before October 1, 2019.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.