ValueOptions Inc., a state Medicaid contractor, disclosed the possibility of axing around 155 employees from its Morrisville service center if their contract with North Carolina’s Division of Medical Assistance will not be renewed or extended in 2011.

On Nov. 24, Barbara Marshall, ValueOptions human resources director, said that they sent proper notice regarding their layoff plan and the potential closure of the Morrisville office to both the North Carolina Department of Commerce and to Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe in accordance with Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN). The notice indicated that each of the affected workers have been notified regarding the issue.

ValueOptions’ contract with the state of North Carolina is set to expire on Jan. 19. Its service center is located at 3800 Paramount Parkway in Morrisville, North Carolina. The Virginia-based contractor has been working with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ DMA group since 2002. ValueOptions processes health insurance documentation and claims for the state’s Medicaid program and NC Health Choice for Children. Both programs provide funding for medical services for certain low-income or needy people in the state.