DURHAM, N.C. – The new Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP), which provides comprehensive health care services to approximately 32,000 children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by child welfare, launches today.

A first-of-its-kind initiative, the CFSP is a single, statewide NC Medicaid Managed Care plan that wraps Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by child welfare with seamless, integrated and coordinated health care. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) will manage the new plan under the name Healthy Blue Care Together.

“The Children and Families Specialty Plan is another example of NC Medicaid’s innovative efforts to provide seamless, integrated, and coordinated care to some of the state’s most at-risk people,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “This plan ensures there is a unified system of care and accountability when it comes to improving the wellbeing of children living with the most complex challenges.”

While informed by local needs and coordination, Healthy Blue Care Together will operate statewide, ensuring beneficiaries can access the health care services they need, including behavioral health, and continue to work with their doctors as their placements may move them across the state.

“Launching Healthy Blue Care Together is more than an operational milestone—it’s a promise to North Carolina’s children, youth, and families who have experienced the child welfare system,” said Angela Boykin, CEO of Healthy Blue and Healthy Blue Care Together. “We’re proud to work alongside our partners at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, local departments of social services, health care providers and community organizations across the state to help our members access the care they need, when and where they need it.”

Key features of the Children and Families Specialty Plan managed Healthy Blue Care Together include:

• A single statewide plan: Healthy Blue Care Together will operate statewide as the single entity that manages the health care of its beneficiaries, simplifying processes and providing caregivers, providers, case workers and families with the information to provide the right care at the right time. As children move or change placement situations, they will continue to receive consistent support and access to trusted health care providers. Health records and information will also remain consistent to help prevent gaps in care.
• Informed by local needs: Healthy Blue Care Together is collaborating with county DSS, local stakeholders and families to understand and respond to needs in each community. Care managers will be located within the community to support collaboration and coordination with local social service agencies and organizations.
• Comprehensive care: The plan will provide timely access to a broad range of physical health, behavioral health, pharmacy, long-term services and supports (LTSS) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) services, as well as unmet health-related resource needs for all beneficiaries. Additional providers who specialize in care, treatment, and therapeutic services for youth in DSS custody have been added to the plan’s network.
• Coordinated care: Within 24 hours of enrollment, every child or youth in Healthy Blue Care Together will be assigned a care manager who will help navigate needs, support integrated, whole-person care and facilitate coordination among service providers. Care management will also facilitate seamless transitions for beneficiaries who experience changes in treatment settings, child welfare placements, transitions to adulthood and/or loss of Medicaid eligibility.
• Prevention focused: The new plan takes a family-focused approach to care delivery to strengthen and preserve families, reduce entry and re-entry into foster care, and support reunification and other permanency plan options.

More information is available on Healthy Blue Care Together’s website. Beneficiaries who need assistance can contact Healthy Blue Care Together Member Services: 833-777-3611 (TTY 711).