A Message from NCTracks on Behalf of NC Medicaid NCDHHS Two-year Anniversary of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots and Announces Preliminary Research Findings

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is celebrating two years of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots in North Carolina and announcing the intent to expand these life-saving services statewide. Described as a “life changing” program, the Healthy Opportunities Pilots addresses people’s non-medical unmet needs with services like food, housing, transportation and services related to interpersonal violence and toxic stress.  

Preliminary research from the program’s independent evaluation shows the state is spending about $85 less in medical costs per Healthy Opportunities Pilots beneficiary per month. Those findings also show participants avoided a significant number of emergency department visits and a segment of the participating population avoided inpatient hospitalizations. Research shows participants have a reduced risk of food insecurity, housing instability and lack of access to transportation. Further, the findings showed that the longer a person was enrolled in the pilots the greater reduction of risk and cost savings.  

More than 288,000 services have been efficiently delivered and more than 20,000 NC Medicaid beneficiaries have enrolled across 33 predominantly rural counties in North Carolina as part of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots since the program began providing services two years ago. 

To learn more about the Healthy Opportunities Pilots, visit the recent news announcement. To learn more about the evaluation findings, visit the Health Opportunities Pilots website.