Nothing in this Part shall prevent the Department from engaging in an informal review of a contested Medicaid case with a recipient prior to issuing a notice of adverse determination under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 108A-70.9A(c) or a notice of resolution under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 108D-5.7 (2010-31, s. 10.30(a); 2019-81, s. 6.)