North Carolina frees up $30 million for BH during COVID‐19 crisis

North Carolina's seven regional managed care agencies for behavioral health are receiving $30 million so they can keep a variety of programs running during the COVID‐19 crisis, Carolina Public Press reported March 31. The money, which an N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) spokesperson said represented unused Medicaid funds, has been shifted to the state's seven local management entities/managed care organizations, commonly called LME/MCOs. The LME/MCOs manage care for beneficiaries receiving mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services who are on Medicaid, uninsured or underinsured. The letter also gave the LME/MCOs authority to use up to 15% of risk reserves to support contracted providers, but with a significant qualifier. The agencies, the DHHS said, would be able to use their reserves to support providers that are “maintaining consumers in their existing residential placements, utilizing telehealth capabilities to the maximum extent possible, providing services that keep consumers from needing access to emergency departments and inpatient services, and otherwise making efforts to deliver high‐quality services during this crisis.” The department's caveat that local providers make every effort to keep their clients out of hospitals is part of a concerted campaign to maintain as much bed space and equipment as possible as the number of COVID‐19 cases rises.