Listen • 3:31 A map shows North Carolina's managed care regions. The state is switching to a new Medicaid system Thursday. Thursday is a big day for Medicaid in North Carolina. The state is officially switching to a new Medicaid system called a “managed care” model. That means 1.6 million Medicaid recipients will receive health care through plans managed by a small group of companies. Instead of paying doctors directly for their services, the state will pay companies that will then pay doctors who treat Medicaid recipients. About 40 other states use this model, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The goal is to save money and improve care.