Innovations Waiver Providers – Updated Service and National Accreditation Requirements

Providers of select Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) services included in Clinical Coverage Policy 8-P, North Carolina Innovations, in addition to Benefits Counseling, must be nationally accredited.   

Beginning April 20, 2026, the Provider Permission Matrix (PPM), for taxonomy 251S00000X (Community/Behavioral Health), will be updated as indicated below to add multiple Innovations Waiver Service options, all of which require national accreditation to be reported at the time of selection. 

• Column AE/AF – SERVICE-TYPE/SERVICE – will offer thirty-nine (39) Innovation Waiver Service options instead of the single Community/Behavioral Health service offered now, allowing providers to more accurately report the service being rendered to Medicaid beneficiaries. 
• Column AG - DOES-SRVC-RQRE-ACCREDITATION - will be modified to 'Yes’ for select Innovations Waiver Services
• Column AI - SERVICE-ACCREDITATION-TYP – will identify the accrediting body from which national accreditation is accepted for that Service.

Currently Enrolled Innovations Waiver Providers Must Take Action

On April 20, 2027, the Community/Behavioral Health Service under taxonomy 251S00000X, currently utilized for Innovations Waiver services will be end-dated and removed from the PPM. Any provider who has not enrolled in a new Innovations Waiver Service, as well as reported their national accreditation at that time, will no longer be eligible to receive reimbursement for Innovations Waiver services.

Innovations Waiver Providers enrolling with 251S00000X taxonomy

For the following scenarios, national accreditation will be required as indicated on the PPM. 

• newly enrolling providers, 
• providers adding taxonomy 251S00000X to their existing record, 
• or providers adding a new Innovations Waiver Service to their existing 251S00000X taxonomy 

See the table below for additional information.

How to add new Innovations Waiver Services and National Accreditation to NCTracks Record

Beginning April 20, 2026, Innovation Waiver providers with an active 251S00000X taxonomy who are already nationally accredited are strongly encouraged to complete an NCTracks Manage Change Request (MCR) to select another Innovations Waiver Service and to report their national accreditation. This ensures compliance and brings the provider record up to date.  If a new Innovations Waiver Service and the required national accreditation is not added by April 20, 2027, the provider risks adverse action causing an inability to receive reimbursement for Innovation Waiver services. 

In addition, providers must understand that national accreditation expiration dates are not automatically updated once added to the NCTracks record. Providers are required to update their national accreditation prior to expiration to avoid adverse action.

Innovations Waiver Services under Taxonomy 251S00000X as displayed on the PPM after April 20, 2026

For more information, see the How to Add or Update Licensing and Accreditation on the Provider Profile in NCTracks Job Aid.

Contact

• NCTracks Call Center: 800-688-6696
• Provider Ombudsman: 866-304-7062