CARY, NC – North Carolina is replacing its Medicaid Management Information System, one that will support and manage other state agency health services in addition to Medicaid.

North Carolina has tapped CSC, a Falls Church, Va.-based firm to lead the transition. In turn, CSC has selected SAS to move data from the existing system to the new one.

The contract with CSC, announced on Jan. 15, was awarded by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. It has a seven-and-a-half-year base period, a one-year option and an estimated value of $265 million.

As North Carolina's technology supplier for data integration and quality, SAS will provide software and services to migrate data from the existing MMIS to the replacement system.

"SAS brings a 30-year relationship with North Carolina to the CSC team," said Paula Joshi, general manager of the SAS State and Local Government Practice. "SAS' extensive knowledge of the state's information technology infrastructure will contribute significantly to a successful transition and offers opportunities for more advanced analysis down the road."

The new solution will include commercial off-the-shelf products designed for a multi-tiered, service-oriented architecture and aligned with the Medicaid IT Architecture business enterprise.

As the fiscal agent for NC DHHS and its divisions, CSC will provide operational support to manage provider and recipient call centers, prior authorization reviews, claims processing, pharmacy operations, medical policy reviews and other administrative activities.

James W. Sheaffer, president of CSC's North American Public Sector line of business, said the CSC team's ability to increase functionality for the system's users would prove critical to improved efficiency.