North Carolina SB 379: Retirement Systems Admin. Changes.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 379

Short Title: Senior Care Assurance Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Theodros and Smith (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 24, 2025
*S379-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT ENHANCING AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY 2
HEALTHCARE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS THROUGH IMPROVED CHRONIC CARE 3
MANAGEMENT, PREVENTIVE SERVICES, AND HOME-BASED CARE; AND 4
APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THESE PURPOSES. 5
Whereas, North Carolina's senior population is increasing, necessitating enhanced 6
healthcare services and infrastructure to support their well-being and independence; and 7
Whereas, the North Carolina Constitution empowers the General Assembly to 8
promote public health and welfare, including the care of senior citizens; and 9
Whereas, expanded preventive healthcare, telehealth services, and home-based care 10
can improve seniors' quality of life, reduce long-term medical costs, and support independent 11
aging; Now, therefore, 12
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 13
14
PART I. TITLE 15
SECTION 1.1. This act shall be known as "The Senior Care Assurance Act." 16
17
PART II. DEFINITIONS 18
SECTION 2.1. The following definitions apply in this act: 19
(1) Division of Aging. – The Department of Health and Human Services, Division 20
of Aging. 21
(2) Senior citizen. – An individual 65 years of age or older who resides in North 22
Carolina. 23
24
PART III. EXPANDED PREVENTIVE AND CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT 25
COVERAGE 26
27
EXPANSION OF MEDICAID COVERAGE 28
SECTION 3.1. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health 29
Benefits, shall ensure the Medicaid program covers preventive screenings and chronic disease 30
management services, including osteoporosis screenings, medication management, 31
cardiovascular assessments, and specialized geriatric care, for Medicaid recipients who are 65 32
years of age or older. 33
34
ESTABLISHMENT OF SENIOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH GRANT PROGRAM 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 379-First Edition
SECTION 3.2.(a) Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General 1
Fund to the Division of Aging the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) 2
in recurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to develop and administer a 3
Senior Preventive Health Grant Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to award 4
grants to healthcare providers that provide regular health screenings, medication management, 5
and geriatric healthcare consultations free of charge to senior citizens with a household income 6
at or below the federal poverty level. 7
SECTION 3.2.(b) The Division of Aging shall develop application materials and 8
selection criteria for the Program. The selection criteria shall take into consideration the 9
availability of other funds available to the applicant and the incidence of poverty in the area 10
served by the applicant. The Division of Aging shall make the final decision about awarding 11
grants under this Program, subject to the following requirements and limitations: 12
(1) The Division of Aging shall give priority to healthcare providers located in 13
rural or underserved areas of the State. 14
(2) The maximum amount of a grant award under the Program is twenty-five 15
thousand dollars ($25,000) per grantee. 16
SECTION 3.2.(c) For each fiscal year, the Division of Aging may use up to five 17
percent (5%) of the funds appropriated for the Program for administrative purposes associated 18
with administering the Program. 19
SECTION 3.2.(d) Annually by April 1, beginning April 1, 2027, the Division of 20
Aging shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services 21
and the Fiscal Research Division on the Program authorized by this section. The report shall 22
include at least all of the following information: 23
(1) An itemized list of Program expenditures. 24
(2) The identity and a brief description of each grantee and the services offered 25
by the grantee. 26
(3) The amount of funding awarded to each grantee. 27
(4) The number of individuals served by each grantee and, for the individuals 28
served, the types of services provided to each. 29
(5) Any other information requested by the Division of Aging as necessary for 30
evaluating the success of the Program. 31
32
PART IV. TELEHEALTH AND REMOTE CARE SERVICES 33
34
EXPANSION OF TELEHEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM 35
SECTION 4.1. Section 9B.7A of S.L. 2023-134 reads as rewritten: 36
"SECTION 9B.7A.(a) Of the funds appropriated in this act from the ARPA Temporary 37
Savings Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Central Management 38
and Support, Office of Rural Health (ORH), the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in 39
nonrecurring funds for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and the sum of fifteen million dollars 40
($15,000,000) in nonrecurring fund