NC Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Pilot Begins

On Jan. 3, 2022, NCDHHS launched the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) pilot program in Alamance, Orange, Durham, Granville and Vance counties. Supported by grant funding from CMS, the NC InCK model is a collaboration between Duke University Health System, UNC Health System and NCDHHS.

NC Medicaid Prepaid Health Plans (PHPs) and Advanced Medical Homes (AMH) Tier 3s enrolled in Standard Plans who are affiliated with the Duke Connected Care, UNC Health Alliance, and Community Care Physician Network (CCPN) clinically integrated networks (CINs), as well as Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) through their NC Medicaid Direct contract will participate in the initial rollout of the model. The NC InCK model will run through Dec. 31, 2026.

The pilot will cover approximately 95,000 children across InCK’s five counties. The NC InCK model aims to improve the quality of care and reduce expenditures for children under 21 years of age covered by Medicaid or CHIP (NC Health Choice) through prevention, early identification and treatment of behavioral and physical health needs. NC InCK also aims to bring together child-specific services from different agencies and providers to help meet the health, education and social needs of children and families. NC InCK also supports communities in coordinating services for children between health care and social services providers. 

NC InCK coordinates care across the following core child services:

1. Schools
2. Early Care and Education
3. Food – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Food Banks
4. Housing
5. Physical and Behavioral Health Care
6. Public Health Services – Title V
7. Social Services – Child Welfare
8. Mobile Crisis Response
9. Juvenile Justice
10. Legal Aid

Additional guidance and program information is available on NCDHHS’ NC InCK Webpage.