February 11, 2020

The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services met this morning at the North Carolina General Assembly. Secretary of NCDHHS, Mandy Cohen, provided opening comments and presented on several updates from DHHS including:

  • The infant mortality rate is the lowest it has been in the last 31 years
  • Unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths dropped for the first time in the last five years
  • Early Childhood Action plan launched with input from over 1,000 stakeholders
  • The nation’s first statewide coordinated care network- NC Care 360- went live in 50 counties
  • The new Broughton Hospital opened
  • Medicaid remains on budget for the sixth year in a row
  • Back@Home- the first statewide disaster rapid rehousing program- housed over 1,000 people

Next, the committee heard an update on the coronavirus from Zack Moore, the State Epidemiologist and Epidemiological Section Chief. Globally, there have been over 43,000 cases and over 1,000 deaths. 99% of infections have been in China, with only 2 deaths occurring outside of China. In the U.S. there have been 13 identified cases, and no identified cases in NC.

Mark Benton, the Assistant Secretary for Public Health, gave a Newborn Screening Update. North Carolina’s newborn screening program began in 1966 as a voluntary effort, and became a legislative mandate in 1991. Newborn screening identifies conditions that can affect a child’s long-term health or survival. Legislation from 2018 enhanced North Carolina’s newborn screening process by screening for new conditions and offering financial support.

The committee then received an overview of the Certificate of Need process in North Carolina. Health care providers must obtain a certificate of need (CON) before opening a new health care facility, offering certain medical services, or acquiring certain medical equipment. The Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section of DHHS administers the CON law. The State Health Coordinating Council (SHCC) is a public advisory council that conducts public hearings to receive recommendations and feedback on the state’s health care planning process. The SHCC works to develop the State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP), which includes the methodologies and data used in determining the need for additional facilities, services, and medical equipment and the projected need. Development of the SMFP is an open and transparent process, with many opportunities for public input. The SHCC meets quarterly, with committee meetings and work groups convening throughout the year.

The following health services are currently subject to CON review in North Carolina:

  • Hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, inpatient rehabilitation services, nursing homes, adult care homes, Medicare-certified home health agencies, hospice home care agencies, hospice residential facilities, outpatient dialysis facilities, psychiatric hospitals, substance use disorder facilities, immediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and diagnostic centers (any facility where the cost of diagnostic equipment costing $10,000 or more exceeds $500,000).

The committee then heard from representatives in support of reforming the current CON law, and those who support preserving the current CON law.

The full meeting agenda can be found here, and all meeting materials can be found here.