North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 131E. Health Care Facilities and Services § 131E-7.1. Public hospitals' managed care development authorized

A public hospital as defined in G.S. 159-39(a) may acquire an ownership interest, in whole or in part, in a nonprofit or for-profit managed care company, including a health maintenance organization, physician hospital organization, physician organization, management services organization, or preferred provider organization with which the public hospital is also directly or indirectly a contracting provider.  Ownership interest may be evidenced by the ownership or acquired by the purchase of stock.  This ownership or acquisition of stock is the exercise of a health care function and is not the investment of idle funds within the meaning of G.S. 159-30 and G.S. 159-39(g).