BAC Meeting Minutes_20251202

NC Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Council (BAC)

Meeting Minutes
December 2, 2025
Virtual Meeting

BAC Members present:

Jonathan D’Angelo, Crystal Foster, Tonita Flowers, Jenny Hobbs, Hannah Elliott, Jessica Aguilar, Hanna Steer, Kadee Primus, Gwynneth Wildcatt, Ada Elizabeth Gil Jimenez, Annette Smith, Michael C. Madden, Matthew Potter, Bee Thao, Janet McDaniel.

NC Medicaid staff present:

Jay Ludlam, Melanie Bush, Kathy Batton, LaQuana Palmer, Sarah Gregosky and a host of other staff members attended via Teams.

Kathy Batton, Communications Manager, NC Medicaid Communications and Engagement, welcomed BAC members to the meeting and reviewed the agenda. Roll call was taken by Jennifer Platts and quorum was established with a majority of members present.

Jay Ludlam, Deputy Secretary of NC Medicaid, provided both federal and state-level updates. He explained the federal government shutdown in April had different impacts on the Medicaid program compared to a typical October shutdown. While Medicaid programs are not generally affected by most shutdowns, this shutdown created challenges, especially for the SNAP program and had it continued into January, the situation would have moved into uncharted territory for Medicaid.

Jay reported that the department is currently navigating several lawsuits related to rate reductions. In addition to the 5% reduction to the Medicaid program, NC Medicaid experienced operational and administrative budget cuts, resulting in the loss of numerous contractors and other staff who support program functions.

Despite these challenges, the department successfully prioritized and launched the Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP), a critical component of the department’s child welfare modernization and reform efforts. The CFSP, serving approximately 35,000–38,000 members, officially launched December 1, 2025.

Jay also highlighted that December 1 marked the two-year anniversary of Medicaid expansion, which concluded the month with approximately 700,000 people enrolled. He reiterated Medicaid expansion does not require state funding, as 90% of costs are covered by the federal government and the remaining 10% is funded through a hospital assessment.

Jay concluded his update by offering BAC members the opportunity to ask questions.

Sarah Gregosky, Chief Operating Officer, provided an update on H.R. 1, beginning with an overview of the legislation and key changes that will impact Medicaid members. She explained upcoming eligibility changes for certain immigrant populations, modifications to retroactive coverage and the anticipated effects of new work and community engagement requirements scheduled to begin January 2027.

Sarah outlined member populations that would be exempt from the work and community engagement requirements and described the forthcoming shift to six-month Medicaid eligibility redeterminations for specific member groups. Beginning December 31, 2026, low-income adults without disabilities will have their eligibility reviewed every six months instead of the current 12-month schedule.

Sarah concluded her update by offering BAC members the opportunity to ask questions.

LaQuana Palmer reviewed the proposed changes to the BAC bylaws and provided members with the opportunity to vote. BAC members voted to approve the bylaws.

Prior to the meeting, Jenny Hobbs and Ada Jimenez were nominated for the positions of BAC Chair and Vice Chair. LaQuana Palmer opened the floor to provide members with the opportunity to offer additional nominations or to self-nominate. No additional nominations were submitted.

The committee then moved to the election of BAC leadership positions:

Vice Chair Election

BAC members began by voting for the position of Vice Chair, choosing between Jenny Hobbs and Ada Jimenez. A majority of members voted for Ada Jimenez, and she was elected as BAC Vice Chair.

Chair Election

The committee then proceeded to vote for BAC Chair. A majority of members voted for Jenny Hobbs, who was elected as BAC Chair.

LaQuana then invited the newly appointed Chair and Vice Chair to provide closing remarks. Jenny Hobbs and Ada Jimenez expressed their gratitude for the opportunity and thanked the members for the nomination.

Meeting adjourned.