Key Takeaways
- • The North Carolina State Health Plan (SHP) is launching a statewide Preferred Provider Program (PPP) on January 1, 2027, supported by Infina Connect's Intelligent Care Coordinator (ICC) platform.
- • The program covers 540,000 state-funded members out of the Plan's 750,000 total state employees, teachers, retirees, and dependents, according to the press release.
- • Members in the Standard PPO Plan who see a Preferred provider can reduce their annual deductible by up to 70% and their out-of-pocket maximum by nearly two-thirds, per the Plan.
- • Rollout is phased: primary care clinics and multi-specialty organizations began onboarding in fall 2026, with independent specialists and major Tier One health systems joining before the statewide date.
- • ICC provides closed-loop referral tracking, EHR-agnostic clinical document exchange, and network-tier visibility for primary care providers.
Summary
The North Carolina State Health Plan (SHP) is rolling out its new Preferred Provider Program (PPP) statewide, with care coordination support from Infina Connect's Intelligent Care Coordinator (ICC) platform, according to a November 10, 2026 press release distributed via PRWeb. The Plan serves 750,000 state employees, teachers, retirees, and their dependents, and 540,000 state-funded members will have their care coordinated through ICC.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the SHP will offer a tiered network that rewards use of Preferred providers with lower deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket costs. According to the release, a member enrolled in the Standard PPO Plan who sees a Preferred provider can cut the annual deductible by up to 70% and the annual out-of-pocket maximum by nearly two-thirds, which the Plan says can translate into thousands of dollars in annual savings for a family.
Tom Friedman, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Health Plan, said the initiative is intended to help members make informed decisions and connect them with high-quality providers, and that it supports access, better outcomes, and lower total medical costs. Joe Francis, CEO of Infina Connect, said the platform lets primary care providers show members their options and coordinate referrals, describing the deployment as "patient navigation at scale."
The ICC platform gives primary care providers visibility into each specialist's network tier, enables clinical document exchange across EHRs, and tracks whether a member was scheduled, seen, and reported back on. Infina Connect states that ICC already supports hundreds of thousands of lives through existing ACO, health system, and provider network customers, and that members retain full control over where they receive care.
The initial phase is underway, with primary care clinics and multi-specialty organizations in the Preferred network beginning onboarding this fall. Independent specialists and major Tier One health systems across North Carolina are scheduled to join before the January 1, 2027 statewide rollout, when thousands of providers across every network tier will be available to primary care practices. Infina Connect is a Cary, North Carolina-based healthcare technology company.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the SHP will offer a tiered network that rewards use of Preferred providers with lower deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket costs. According to the release, a member enrolled in the Standard PPO Plan who sees a Preferred provider can cut the annual deductible by up to 70% and the annual out-of-pocket maximum by nearly two-thirds, which the Plan says can translate into thousands of dollars in annual savings for a family.
Tom Friedman, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Health Plan, said the initiative is intended to help members make informed decisions and connect them with high-quality providers, and that it supports access, better outcomes, and lower total medical costs. Joe Francis, CEO of Infina Connect, said the platform lets primary care providers show members their options and coordinate referrals, describing the deployment as "patient navigation at scale."
The ICC platform gives primary care providers visibility into each specialist's network tier, enables clinical document exchange across EHRs, and tracks whether a member was scheduled, seen, and reported back on. Infina Connect states that ICC already supports hundreds of thousands of lives through existing ACO, health system, and provider network customers, and that members retain full control over where they receive care.
The initial phase is underway, with primary care clinics and multi-specialty organizations in the Preferred network beginning onboarding this fall. Independent specialists and major Tier One health systems across North Carolina are scheduled to join before the January 1, 2027 statewide rollout, when thousands of providers across every network tier will be available to primary care practices. Infina Connect is a Cary, North Carolina-based healthcare technology company.
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