Medicaid recipients in Pitt County are eligible for services beyond health care amid the state’s expansion of who qualifies for coverage.
Dr. Max Cuevas, a community engagement representative for the health care intermediary WellCare of North Carolina, said that there are over 100,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in Region 6 of the state’s Medicaid Managed Care regions. That area includes Pitt, Greene, Edgecombe, Martin and 23 other counties in the eastern part of the state.
Cuevas said a Feb. 3 block party hosted by WellCare at the Greenville Mall was among many events planned to share information on providers and coverage to people who could benefit.
The events are in response to the state expanding Medicaid coverage to more people in December. At that time, the state reported that 600,000 more North Carolinians would become eligible for coverage.
Carrie Woodruff, a registered nurse, said that Medicaid expansion is key to providing better health care in rural areas like Pitt County and making service accessible to people who might have geographical or physical obstacles standing in the way of treatment.