GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 629
Short Title: Extend Primary Care Task Force. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Reeder.
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Health, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 2, 2025
*H629 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO EXTEND AND CLARIFY THE PRIMARY CARE PAYMENT REFORM TASK 2
FORCE. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Section 9E.28 of S.L. 2023-134 reads as rewritten: 5
"SECTION 9E.28.(a) There is established the North Carolina Primary Care Payment 6
Reform Task Force (Task Force) within the Department of Health and Human Services, Division 7
of Health Benefits, for budgetary purposes only. 8
… 9
"SECTION 9E.28.(b) The Task Force established under subsection (a) of this section shall 10
have the following duties: 11
(1) Establish a definition of primary care to be utilized by the Task Force. This 12
term should be applicable to services and care provided under the NC 13
Medicaid program, the State Health Plan, and commercial insurance. 14
(2) Conduct an actuarial evaluation of the current healthcare spend on primary 15
care services, both as it relates to the NC Medicaid program and the 16
commercial market, including Medicare Advantage plans. 17
(3) Determine the adequacy of the primary care delivery system in North 18
Carolina, including the impact this system has on the supply of the primary 19
care providers in this State. 20
(4) Study the primary care payment landscape in other states, specifically 21
considering states that have implemented a minimum primary care spend. 22
(5) Identify data collection and measurement systems to inform creation of a 23
primary care investment target for the NC Medicaid program, the State Health 24
Plan, and commercial insurance. This includes a method by which to measure 25
improvements made toward that target. 26
(5a) Collect and compile data and other information related to healthcare spend on 27
primary care services in a manner that is compliant with the Health Insurance 28
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Within 30 days of a 29
request for data or information from the Task Force, all entities shall comply 30
with the Task Force's request. 31
(6) Evaluate the need for a permanent Primary Care Payment Reform Task Force, 32
or other similar entity, including which State agency or body is best suited to 33
oversee the work of that group. 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 629-First Edition
(7) Perform any other studies, evaluations, or determinations the Task Force 1
considers necessary. 2
"SECTION 9E.28.(b1) The Department of Health and Human Services shall develop, and 3
the Task Force and the Department of Health and Human Services shall implement, a detailed 4
data security and safeguarding plan for the data requested pursuant to subsection (b) of this 5
section that includes all of the following: 6
(1) Guidelines for authorizing access to the data, including guidelines for 7
authentication of authorized access. 8
(2) Privacy compliance standards. 9
(3) Privacy and security audits. 10
(4) Breach planning, notification, and procedures. 11
(5) Data retention and disposition policies. 12
(6) Data security policies, including electronic, physical, and administrative 13
safeguards such as data encryption and training of employees. 14
"SECTION 9E.28.(b2) The data collected by the Task Force under subsection (b) of this 15
section, regardless of where it is housed, shall not be considered a public record within the 16
meaning of Chapter 132 of the General Statutes. 17
"SECTION 9E.28.(c) No later than April 1, 2024, and April 1, 2026, the Task Force shall 18
submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight 19
Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on 20
Medicaid. These findings and recommendations shall include specific, concrete, and actionable 21
steps to be undertaken by the State and upon which the General Assembly could act. 22
"SECTION 9E.28.(d) This section shall expire on May 1, 2024.December 31, 2026." 23
SECTION 2. This act is effective retroactive to July 1, 2023. 24