On April 1, 2023, approximately 55,000 children receiving NC Health Choice coverage will move to NC Medicaid and begin receiving additional physical and behavioral health services. This change will help save families money and increase access to care. North Carolina currently has two similar, but different, programs that offer medical coverage for eligible children — NC Medicaid, funded through the federal Medicaid program, and NC Health Choice, funded through the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The state of emergency declared nation-wide due to COVID-19 led to the creation of public health policies that aimed to protect citizens from the health contingency. The laws included continuous Medicaid coverage under which beneficiaries were guaranteed uninterrupted coverage, with no need for an annual redetermination on the basis of changes in their household or their income.