RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Monday it plans to relaunch the Healthy Opportunities Pilot in early 2027 under a food-only model for some high-need Medicaid members.
The new version would provide weekly healthy food boxes delivered to members’ homes. To qualify, a person must be enrolled in NC Medicaid Managed Care, live in one of the pilot regions, experience food insecurity and meet clinical criteria tied to pregnancy, diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
NCDHHS said the three existing regions will remain in place, covering 33 counties through Access East, Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear and Impact Health. The department’s program page says the relaunched services are expected to run through June 30, 2027.
The enacted state budget provides $25,111,607 in nonrecurring spending authority for the pilot. The General Assembly’s conference report lists $16,111,607 in receipts and a $9 million net state appropriation. NCDHHS described the combined state and federal investment as approximately $25 million.
The original pilot began providing services in 2022 and included food, housing, transportation, interpersonal-safety and toxic-stress interventions. Operations were suspended after July 1, 2025, when lawmakers did not provide additional funding. The relaunch does not restore those other service categories under the current plan.
Care managers would assess eligibility and connect members to services. Community-based Human Services Organizations would deliver authorized food boxes, while network leads would oversee regional provider capacity and prepaid health plans would authorize and pay for the services.
The department has not announced an exact start date. It said network leads, service organizations and other stakeholders will receive at least 30 days’ notice before services begin. Additional services could be considered if more funding becomes available.
NC Newsline independently reported the relaunch Monday and noted that the earlier pilot was suspended after funding expired. A UNC Sheps Center evaluation released this year found that the earlier program was associated with fewer emergency-department visits and an average Medicaid cost reduction of $164 per participant per month.
Sources
- NCDHHS: Healthy Opportunities Pilot relaunch plan
- North Carolina General Assembly: 2026 budget conference report, Item 103
- NC Newsline: independent report on the Nov. 9 relaunch announcement
Photo Credit: Anon Anon via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Contextual photograph of a vegetable box; cropped and resized. The NCPN logo is a separate brand mark.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.