Innovations Waiver Providers Must Add 39 Services and Accreditation by April 20
Summary
NC Medicaid is updating the Provider Permission Matrix (PPM) for taxonomy 251S00000X to add 39 new Innovations Waiver Service options for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (I/DD) service providers. Beginning April 20, 2026, providers must report national accreditation when selecting these services. Providers currently using the single Community/Behavioral Health service must migrate to a new Innovations Waiver Service and report accreditation by April 20, 2027, or lose reimbursement eligibility.
What changed
NC Medicaid is expanding service options in the Provider Permission Matrix for taxonomy 251S00000X (Community/Behavioral Health) from one to 39 Innovation Waiver Service options. The PPM will be updated to require national accreditation (COA, CQL, JCAHO, or CARF) for select services including Benefits Counseling, Community Living and Support, Crisis Services, Day Supports, Residential Supports, Respite, Supported Employment, and Supported Living.
Providers currently enrolled in Innovations Waiver services using the Community/Behavioral Health taxonomy must submit an NCTracks Manage Change Request to add a new Innovations Waiver Service and report their national accreditation by April 20, 2027. Providers who fail to update their records by this date will no longer be eligible to receive reimbursement for Innovation Waiver services. Providers are also responsible for manually updating accreditation expiration dates in NCTracks prior to expiration to avoid adverse action.
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Apr 18, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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Providers of select Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) services included in Clinical Coverage Policy 8-P, North Carolina Innovations, in addition to Benefits Counseling, must be nationally accredited.
Beginning April 20, 2026, the Provider Permission Matrix (PPM), for taxonomy 251S00000X (Community/Behavioral Health), will be updated as indicated below to add multiple Innovations Waiver Service options, all of which require national accreditation to be reported at the time of selection.
- Column AE/AF – SERVICE-TYPE/SERVICE – will offer thirty-nine (39) Innovation Waiver Service options instead of the single Community/Behavioral Health service offered now, allowing providers to more accurately report the service being rendered to Medicaid beneficiaries.
- Column AG - DOES-SRVC-RQRE-ACCREDITATION - will be modified to 'Yes’ for select Innovations Waiver Services
- Column AI - SERVICE-ACCREDITATION-TYP – will identify the accrediting body from which national accreditation is accepted for that Service.
Currently Enrolled Innovations Waiver Providers Must Take Action
On April 20, 2027, the Community/Behavioral Health Service under taxonomy 251S00000X, currently utilized for Innovations Waiver services will be end-dated and removed from the PPM. Any provider who has not enrolled in a new Innovations Waiver Service, as well as reported their national accreditation at that time, will no longer be eligible to receive reimbursement for Innovations Waiver services.
Innovations Waiver Providers enrolling with 251S00000X taxonomy
For the following scenarios, national accreditation will be required as indicated on the PPM.
- newly enrolling providers,
- providers adding taxonomy 251S00000X to their existing record,
- or providers adding a new Innovations Waiver Service to their existing 251S00000X taxonomy See the table below for additional information.
How to add new Innovations Waiver Services and National Accreditation to NCTracks Record
Beginning April 20, 2026, Innovation Waiver providers with an active 251S00000X taxonomy who are already nationally accredited are strongly encouraged to complete an NCTracks Manage Change Request (MCR) to select another Innovations Waiver Service and to report their national accreditation. This ensures compliance and brings the provider record up to date. If a new Innovations Waiver Service and the required national accreditation is not added by April 20, 2027, the provider risks adverse action causing an inability to receive reimbursement for Innovation Waiver services.
In addition, providers must understand that national accreditation expiration dates are not automatically updated once added to the NCTracks record. Providers are required to update their national accreditation prior to expiration to avoid adverse action.
Innovations Waiver Services under Taxonomy 251S00000X as displayed on the PPM after April 20, 2026
| NC Medicaid Innovations Service | Accepted Accreditations Required Prior to Enrolling (Must Have One) |
|---|---|
| BENEFITS COUNSELING | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| COMMUNITY LIVING AND SUPPORT | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| COMMUNITY NETWORKING | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| COMMUNITY TRANSITION (AGENCY W/CHOICE PROVIDER) | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| CRISIS SERVICES | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| DAY SUPPORTS | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| INDIVIDUAL GOODS & SERVICES (AGENCY WITH CHOICE PROVIDERS ONLY) | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| NATURAL SUPPORTS EDUCATION (AGENCY WITH CHOICE PROVIDERS ONLY) | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| RESIDENTIAL SUPPORTS | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| RESPITE (PROVIDER AGENCIES AND FACILITIES ONLY) | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| ACHC; CHAP (Nursing Respite) | |
| SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
| SUPPORTED LIVING | COA; CQL; JCAHO; CARF |
For more information, see the How to Add or Update Licensing and Accreditation on the Provider Profile in NCTracks Job Aid.
Contact
- NCTracks Call Center: 800-688-6696
- Provider Ombudsman: 866-304-7062
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