This holiday season, we pause to express our sincere appreciation for the incredible work you do every day to support the health and wellbeing of your communities.
It’s been an honor to walk alongside you this year as partners in advancing quality care and meaningful change.
From all of us at Southern Regional AHEC Practice Support — may your holidays be restful, your hearts full, and your new year bright.
Updates
IMPORTANT INSURANCE INFORMATION – UNC Health
Effective December 1, 2025, UNC Health will be out of network with Cigna. If your insurance goes out of network with UNC Health, payment for the scheduled service as well as any outstanding balances will be expected prior to or no later than arrival for your upcoming appointment. Some healthcare services may qualify for Cigna’s continuity of care. Contact Cigna to request and complete the Continuity of Care form.
As of Jan. 1, 2026, UNC Health is out-of-network with Humana, WellCare, and Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC/formerly Cigna) Medicare Advantage plans. Humana North Carolina State Employee Health Benefit Plan (Medicare Advantage for retirees) members will continue to be seen with no increase in cost.
Children and Families Specialty Plan
As of Dec. 1, 2025, NC Medicaid’s new statewide Children and Families Specialty Plan—managed by Blue Cross NC as Healthy Blue Care Together—provides integrated physical and behavioral health care for children, youth, and young adults involved in the child welfare system. Eligible members include those in foster care, receiving adoption assistance, former foster youth up to age 26, their minor children, and individuals served by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Family Safety Program.
For more information, please review the press release or visit the Children and Families Specialty Plan webpage.
A Physician’s Guide to Effective Revenue Cycle Management
The “A Physician’s Guide to Effective Revenue Cycle Management” provides a practical overview of the full billing cycle and common challenges. It highlights five strategies to boost financial performance: clear process ownership, team learning, smart automation, KPI monitoring, and improved patient transparency. A helpful resource for practices looking to streamline workflows and reduce administrative burden.
Solving The Challenges Of Employee Health Benefits: The North Carolina State Health Plan Story
North Carolina’s State Health Plan is rolling out major reforms to curb costs and expand access to high-value care for its 750,000 members. Updates include redesigned premiums and benefits, expanded preferred networks, higher behavioral-health reimbursement, and incentives for primary care practices that deliver strong care management and cost-effective referrals. These shifts create new opportunities for practices to engage in value-focused care models. Read Full Article Here.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
CMS has released the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, 2026 Quality Payment Program Final Rule, 2026 MIPS Value Pathways (MVP) Guide, and updates to the Medicare Shared Savings Program Fact Sheet. Changes aim to simplify reporting, align measures with meaningful outcomes, and support value-based care for primary care and ACO-aligned practices.
Revenue Cycle Management: Streamline and Automate Your Practice’s Revenue Cycle
The AMA’s “Revenue Cycle Management: Streamline and Automate Your Practice’s Revenue Cycle” toolkit highlights eight steps to improve practice finances, from choosing the right management system and verifying insurance electronically to optimizing claims, payments, and patient collections at the point of service.
Practice Manager Bootcamp
Course: Leadership
Practice managers are leaders, and the better leaders they are, the more successful their practices will be. In this course, you will learn communication and management skills that will help you make your practice cohesive, efficient, and welcoming for both your staff and patients.
When: January 08, 2026 - March 05, 2026
Location: Live Webinar
Cost: $180.00
Course: Operations Management
Practice managers are leaders, and the better leaders they are, the more successful their practices will be. In this module, you will learn communication and management skills that will help you make your practice cohesive, efficient, and welcoming for both your staff and patients.
When: March 12, 2026 – April 13, 2026
Location: Live Webinar
Cost: $100.00
Course: Quality Improvement
Practice managers are leaders, and the better leaders they are, the more successful their practices will be. In this module, you will learn communication and management skills that will help you make your practice cohesive, efficient, and welcoming for both your staff and patients.
When: April 23, 2026 – May 14, 2026
Location: Live Webinar
Cost: $80.00
Learning Opportunities
Diabetes in Focus: Medication Management Made Practical
January 7, 2026
Live Webinar
Ensuring Safety: OSHA Compliance Training for Clinical Practice
Online Self-Paced Learning
Caries Management
January 9, 2025
Live Webinar
NC Center for Aging & Geriatric Excellence (NC-AGE) E-Mail Subscription Service (CGEC)
Online Self-Paced Learning
Diabetes in Focus: Wound Care Essentials in Diabetes
January 14, 2026
Live Webinar
DMST: Be Their Voice: Breaking the Silence to Stop Human Trafficking
January 15, 2025
In-Person – Fayetteville, NC
24th Annual School Nurse Conference Exhibitor
January 15, 2026
In-Person – Lumberton, NC
24th Annual School Nurse Conference
January 15, 2026 – January 16, 2026
In-Person – Lumberton, NC
Encouraging Resilience: Addressing Physician Burnout
January 16, 2026
Live Webinar
Diabetes in Focus: Nourishing Health: Nutrition Strategies for Diabetes Course
January 21, 2026
Live Webinar
Grant Writing for Success: From Idea to Impact
January 23, 2026
In-Person – Fayetteville, NC
Diabetes in Focus: Foot Care Fundamentals: Steps Toward Prevention
January 28, 2026
Live Webinar
Understanding Neurological Birth Defects: What Providers Need to Know
January 30, 2026
Live Webinar
To view more upcoming programs, visit SR-AHEC!
