The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is set to revamp its Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program after securing a $9 million fund from the North Carolina General Assembly. This financial boost, along with federal matching funds, creates a total investment of around $25 million dedicated to assisting NC Medicaid members who face significant health challenges.
Scheduled for an early 2027 relaunch, the HOP program will narrow its focus to combat food insecurity, a vital component of comprehensive healthcare. NC Medicaid participants residing in the designated HOP regions—who face food insecurity and meet specific health criteria such as pregnancy, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease—will receive weekly deliveries of nutritious food boxes. The counties served by the three existing Pilot regions, Impact Health, Access East, and Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear, remain unchanged.
“Addressing non-medical drivers of health is critical to supporting healthy communities, and we are grateful to our partners at the General Assembly for the investment to relaunch this program,” stated NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “We know that food is medicine. By focusing on food insecurity, we are keeping our highest-risk neighbors healthy at home and proving that proactive nutrition is one of the most effective tools we have to keep people out of the hospital.”
This initiative is the first of its kind in the nation, exploring the impact of Medicaid funding on non-medical services like food and housing to enhance health outcomes and cut costs. A study by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill highlights the program’s success, indicating a noteworthy shift in patient care. Participants in the HOP program experienced fewer emergency room visits and hospital stays, favoring more frequent and cost-effective outpatient care.
Nutritional interventions, such as healthy food boxes, medically tailored meals, and produce prescriptions, dominated the services provided during HOP’s initial two years. These initiatives have shown to significantly ease healthcare needs by enabling individuals to better manage chronic conditions and prevent acute medical crises.
“The data proves this model works. We remain focused on supporting healthy communities by delivering essential food interventions to those with the greatest needs,” expressed Melanie Bush, Deputy Secretary of NC Medicaid. “While we are starting with a scaled-down framework to maximize current funding, we know how powerful this program is. Our hope is to expand services in the future as more resources become available so we can continue building on this success.”
The revamped program emphasizes strategic use of available resources while ensuring that eligible Medicaid members receive evidence-based support to address social determinants of health. Future funding could potentially expand the program’s services.
Key entities involved in delivering comprehensive care include:
- Care managers responsible for assessing eligibility and connecting members to services, based at health plans or delegated care management entities.
- Human Services Organizations (HSOs) delivering authorized services or Healthy Food Boxes directly to qualified members.
- Network Leads overseeing the three Pilot regions, ensuring network adequacy and bridging healthcare with social services.
- Prepaid Health Plans (PHPs) authorizing and funding the services.
This program aligns with NCDHHS’s strategic priorities of enhancing healthcare access and delivering vital services to those in need. Stakeholders will be notified of the official launch date at least 30 days prior to the commencement of services.
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