LME/MCO Transparency and Accountability.

SB 330 requires North Carolina's Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs) serving Medicaid beneficiaries for mental, behavioral, and substance use services to submit quarterly reports starting October 2025. These reports must include data on emergency department waits over 24 hours, access to providers within 30 days, unused funds due to provider shortages, and network provider counts. The bill also sets new service standards: LME/MCOs must ensure fewer than two people per county are "boarded" in hospital ERs (staying over 24 hours after medical clearance) and that 85% of approved services begin within 45 days. Failure to meet these benchmarks for two consecutive quarters triggers corrective action by the state. This directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries accessing behavioral health services and the LME/MCOs managing those services.