While 2026 still feels fresh, lots of North Carolinians are reflecting on the high note 2025 ended on: People from across the state came together to launch Healthy Blue Care Together, the Children and Families Specialty Plan that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is managing for the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and NC Medicaid.

The strong partnerships underlying this plan can improve the health and well-being of children and families, not just over the course of this year, but through generations to come.

I’m proud of what this plan represents. Our December 1 launch was no ordinary operational milestone – it was the realization of a promise of consistent, coordinated, and compassionate health care for children and families at their most vulnerable moments. And it’s only possible because of the partners who have brought expertise, empathy, and commitment.

Every child deserves care, hope, and the opportunity to thrive.

Healthy Blue Care Together keeps this perspective top of mind throughout the year. In our collaboration with local Departments of Social Services (DSS), we’ve worked to ensure children and youth currently and formerly engaged with child welfare have started 2026 with access to:

• A single statewide plan. Instead of a fragmented, county-by-county system, Healthy Blue Care Together provides a unified, statewide approach that’s accountable for beneficiaries’ care across North Carolina.
• Comprehensive care. The new health plan provides integrated access to physical health, behavioral health, pharmacy, long-term services and supports, intellectual and developmental disability services, and help with health-related social needs.
• Coordinated care. Every Healthy Blue Care Together member will now have access to care management for enhanced support of whole person care. Our care managers are ready to help ensure smooth transitions across services – whether that’s a change in treatment setting, a new placement, or the move to adulthood. That level of personalized care is especially important for children and youth experiencing child welfare, who often have complex care needs that require careful coordination among families, providers, and local DSS.
• Local insight. Our care managers live and work in the communities they serve for a reason – the best care understands local needs and takes advantage of nearby opportunities. That’s why Healthy Blue Care Together is fueled by collaboration at the local level, from our team of care managers to our ongoing partnerships with local DSS, community partners, and families.
• Prevention focus. Healthy Blue Care Together understands that it’s best to address potential crises before they arise. That’s why we take a family-centered approach that helps strengthen and preserve families, reduce entries and re-entries into foster care, and support reunification and permanency.

All this work is making things better for children and young people, but there’s still more we need to do. As we listen to families, providers, and communities, we’re looking ahead and keeping our sights set on where we can improve and where there are opportunities to harness the power of new ideas and partnerships.

Children and youth engaged in the child welfare system often face moves across homes, counties, and regions. Historically, those transitions meant losing access to trusted providers, care managers, and critical information. Healthy Blue Care Together changes that by pairing statewide consistency with deep local engagement.

Our approach starts in the community with a strong focus on care management. Care managers are based across North Carolina – many co-located within local DSS offices – to ensure families and caseworkers have direct, real-time support. Within 24 hours of enrollment, every child or youth is assigned a care manager who becomes a single point of contact, helping to navigate and coordinate care among providers, DSS teams, and other local resources.

We're using data to monitor outcomes and technology to enhance collaboration between families, DSS agencies, providers, and care managers. Our NC CarePoints Connect platform provides real-time updates and shared visibility into critical events. It strengthens communication and ensures that, when a child moves or circumstances change, everyone involved can act quickly and in coordination.

By combining statewide consistency with local relationships and tools, we’re building a system that works where it matters most – in the communities children call home.

This collaborative approach exemplifies what the people in my home state are so good at: coming together to solve big problems and to help those who need it.

This work reflects the commitment of so many across the state. I’m thankful for the leadership from NCDHHS and for the daily partnership of local DSS teams, stakeholders, providers, and care teams who help carry this mission forward.

I also see the power of partnership every day working with such a dedicated team at Healthy Blue Care Together. I’m surrounded by people with a genuine passion for serving our state, and that never fails to inspire me.

Most importantly, I see the power of partnership in the families, caregivers, and young people whose voices have informed this plan. The perspective we’ve gained through their lived experiences have helped shape our priorities and keep us accountable.

North Carolinians from all walks of life have shown tireless commitment and unparalleled creativity to making life better for young people and their families. 

Healthy Blue Care Together is one part of North Carolina’s broader commitment to improving long-term health and well-being for children experiencing the child welfare system and to strengthen and support families. The road ahead will take persistence. It will also take humility – listening closely, adjusting quickly, and measuring what matters.

If you’re a provider, caregiver, or community organization, I invite you to stay engaged with us – share what’s working, where you need support, and how we can better serve your community. When we align around the needs of families, we make care simpler, more coordinated, and more human.

Together, we can fill the months, years, and decades ahead with partnership, progress, and possibility – for every child, youth, and family we serve.