Low-Income Women's Access to Family Planning

North Carolina provides increased access to reproductive health care services through a Section 1115 research and demonstration waiver.  The waiver, known as the "Be Smart" Family Planning Waiver, allows the state to provide family planning services to men ages 19-60 and women ages 19-55 with incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, who would not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.

Beneficiaries of family planning coverage available through the waiver program are not required to pay premiums or co-payments for covered services.  Covered services include: family planning annual examinations, periodic family planning office visits, most FDA-approved and Medicaid-covered methods of birth control, tubal ligations, vasectomies, and necessary post-procedure follow-up, STI screening and limited treatment, HIV testing, and laboratory tests associated with STI screening and family planning procedures including, but not limited to, pregnancy tests and pap smears.

The waiver will expire Sept. 30, 2010.

N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Servs., Div. of Medical Assistance, N.C. Medicaid Special Bulletin, May 2006 at http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dma/bulletin/FPW.pdf (last visited Dec. 5, 2008);  NARAL Pro-Choice America Survey of State Medicaid Offices