In 2021, more than half of teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless. A new report by the CDC makes it clear that boys also face increasing mental health challenges, but girls are nearly twice as likely to experience feelings of unrelenting despair.

Lack of mental health care providers is one piece of the puzzle when it comes to access. But at Blue Cross NC, we’re guided by an expansive understanding of what “access” really means: Making every step of the member journey easier to understand and more manageable.

We’ve stuck by all 100 counties of our great state since 1933. But supporting each county with a one-size-fits-all approach will not help us achieve affordable and accessible health care. We’re working to support the unique needs of each individual community. 

Providing youth with access to mental health services is critical at this historical moment, when more than 4 in 10 teens report feeling “persistently sad or hopeless.” Working more carefully with children and adolescents could dismantle the nearly universal stigma associated with mental health care.

Here in North Carolina, 69 of our 100 counties have no child psychiatrists; 27 have no psychiatrist at all. Failure to address this challenge now will have long-term consequences.

While COVID-19’s cost in human terms can’t be calculated, the pandemic also carries a price tag – and it’s a hefty one. The numbers only confirm that making health care affordable must remain a priority, not just for Blue Cross NC, but across all of health care.

More than 30,000 children and youth in North Carolina are involved in North Carolina’s foster care system. Blue Cross NC is committed to helping them overcome barriers to good health.

Throughout the pandemic, substance use has risen sharply, and record numbers of opioid deaths have left even more families destabilized and more children vulnerable.

The cost of medical care is too high and is a major concern for our members. Surprise billing alone has cost our health care system roughly $40 billion. Find out what we’re doing to make sure health care is better, simpler, and more affordable for all.

In health care, we often talk about postpartum depression. But few people realize that adoptive parents can also experience “the baby blues,” or post-placement depression. See how Blue Cross NC is taking a holistic look at maternal health.

The United States is losing ground in our battle against opioid overuse. Overdose deaths were up around 30% in 2020, and opioid overdose is now a leading cause of death for adults ages 25 to 54 in the U.S. See how the new advisory’s call to action mobilizes the health care system to address opioid overuse.

When I was in medical school, two of my fellow students died – one by suicide and one from an alcohol use disorder. A third student survived a suicide attempt. Today, our profession recognizes National Physician Suicide Awareness Day as we seek to understand and combat the factors that lead so many medical professionals to emotional crisis.

There are many evidence-based, effective treatments for substance use disorders. The challenge is separating those options from the ones that don’t actually work. Shockingly, some studies indicate that as many as 25% of patients receive treatment that is counter-productive or harmful.

Over the past several decades, in much of the world, the maternal mortality rate has declined. But in the U.S. the problem has only worsened.

At this moment in time, no conversation is more critical to our nation’s health than encouraging our peers and loved ones to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But how do we initiate dialogue that might trigger intense feelings?

In December of 2019, the odds that a child in the United States would experience trauma were already high. In the wake of a global pandemic, those odds have risen sharply.

Coverage of COVID-19 has dominated health news for more than a year now. But another disturbing health trend has slipped under the radar: During the pandemic, many vows to quit tobacco use went up in smoke.

The research is clear: it takes more than sustenance to address the wide-ranging impacts of food insecurity. It requires a whole-person approach.

Telehealth shouldn’t make care more expensive. Blue Cross NC supports a long-term telehealth strategy driven by affordability, access and outcomes.

The pandemic has confirmed that we need to address physician burnout. Focusing on mental health and working conditions could be important first steps.

This Pride Month, social worker Hayden Dawes talks LGTBQ+ mental health, stigma, and what it means to be a compassion warrior.

Most Americans would probably balk at the idea of spending nearly $20,000 on a bloated annual expense. That would be enough to buy a new car every year! Unfortunately, by 2028, that will be the annual per-person cost of health care if things don’t change. Between 2009 and 2019, health care spending in the United [...]

At Blue Cross NC, our behavioral health team is committed to the vision that behavioral health services should be accessible, high-quality, and stigma-free. Here’s how we plan to get there.

Between prescription drug costs, inefficient care and administrative burdens, health care is more expensive than it should be, and the costs are only rising. Here’s what we’re doing to make care higher quality and more affordable for all.

Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from pregnancy than White women. Discover why this is, and how we can help combat these disparities.

As we’re approaching the one-year mark since North Carolina started to feel the impact of the pandemic, we now have a good understanding of how the pandemic is financially affecting our Company. Between lowering our premiums for 2020 and absorbing the incremental costs associated with COVID-19, we saw a decrease in our company’s net income, [...]

While doubts about the safety and efficacy of the new vaccines are largely unfounded, among people of color these fears are the result of systemic inequities that are very real.

Telehealth visits exploded in the early months of the pandemic, increasing by more than 7,500%. Clearly, the way we provide care to patients has changed. But will this change outlast the pandemic?

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, we can’t fulfill our mission to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities without explicitly addressing disparities and health inequities.

2020 was heartbreaking, but it also brought out the best in so many people. During one of the most serious public health crises in a century, health care professionals rose to the challenge.

Blue Cross NC is in its second year of a long-term strategy to improve behavioral health access, quality and efficiency by focusing on whole-person care.

Blue Cross NC is using technology and human interaction to help provide a simplified health care experience.

The settlement with Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, is an important step forward in managing the nation’s opioid crisis. Learn more.

Managing medical costs starts with knowing what they are in the first place. We support the concept of cost transparency, and we’re leading the way in making it a reality for all North Carolinians.

In order to make health care better, simpler and more affordable, the health care system needs to fundamentally change. This transformation starts with a move to value-based care.

As part of our efforts to transform health care, we’re working toward interoperability — allowing physicians to access patient data across practices, hospitals and platforms to paint a full picture of a patient’s health.

The COVID-19 crisis is teaching us a lot about our health care system, and we will emerge from this crisis wiser for the experience. Blue Cross NC’s COO explains where we go from here.

Blue Cross NC is committed to combating the substance use disorder crisis in our state through community partners, new solutions and industry-leading approaches.

Providers deserve to be paid fairly to treat patients. But we can all agree that sending huge surprise bills or engaging in medical price-gouging isn’t right.

Blue Cross NC’s chief financial officer Mitch Perry talks lowering rates for members and looking toward the future of health care during the pandemic and beyond.

There is work to be done to maximize the chances of healthy pregnancies and births in North Carolina and beyond.

Social distancing and wearing masks reduces exposure to germs and bacteria. Does less exposure weaken our immune systems?

The pandemic is making it more challenging for people dealing with chronic pain to receive the care they need. Here’s why.

During the covid-19 pandemic, many of us have been told to “stay home.” Now, as the state begins to reopen, is it safe to return to the doctor?

Employees are experiencing difficulties because of COVID-19. Here’s how to play an active role in supporting your employees’ mental health needs.

Right now, one of the best defenses we have against COVID-19 is accurate information. Learn how to become a coronavirus fact checker.

Scams are common during the coronavirus pandemic.

Life during the COVID-19 outbreak is changing our lives in ways we hadn’t contemplated before now.

It’s been ten years since the landmark passage of the Affordable Care Act, and six years since the Marketplace opened and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) began selling individual plans on the federal marketplace.

With spring approaching, we’re entering the season when many Americans file their taxes. At Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), this time of year marks the preparation and filing of our yearly financial results. Each year, this filing provides us with the opportunity to reflect on our performance and how we’re […]

With today’s technological advances, medical innovations, and unprecedented access to information, you might expect millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996, to be ahead of the curve when it comes to their own health. However, according to a report by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), the opposite is true. Focusing on the […]

Around 2,500 years ago, Hippocrates detailed the relationship between our living environment and our health in his book On Airs, Waters, and Places. In the book, the great physician and philosopher offered guidance to doctors who traveled the countryside, advising them to consider a range of factors that have a significant impact on health and […]

Finding and receiving treatment for addiction is one of the most difficult health care encounters a person can face. Patients and their families often don’t know where to turn with their questions about substance use disorders. Questions like: How do I know what type of treatment will work? What kind of care do I need? […]

Flu season is already here and according to health experts, getting your flu shot this year will be critical. ABC News reports that only half of American adults plan to get the shot. The importance of getting the vaccine right to protect against influenza can be seen in our own backyard as Duke announced a […]

It’s official: we’re lowering rates by an average of 5.5 percent for 2020 Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans offered to individuals. The North Carolina Department of Insurance has approved our reduction, making this is the second year in a row that we have decreased average rates for individual ACA members. Our average rate reduction for […]

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” Scholars differ on the origins of that quote, but that debate doesn’t change the core truth being expressed. Humans can’t expect to live a life without pain; to be alive is to hurt. Fortunately, science has delivered some very effective ways of minimizing our physical suffering. And there is […]

One of the most rewarding parts of being a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) employee is knowing that our work is making a positive impact in the lives of millions of North Carolinians.

You talk to your friends about your life, your frustrations and they offer advice. Your friends know you well, and it’s easy to find comfort in talking about your deepest fears and troubles with people you trust. As a psychiatrist, patients enter my office with some awareness that they may need assistance to get unstuck. […]

As a psychiatrist, I often come across confusion around my field of work: behavioral health. In my experience, people want to learn more, but don’t know where to start. People wonder, what do I ask? What do I need to know? What if I sound ignorant asking? I thought it would be helpful to collect […]

As the Chief People Officer at Blue Cross NC, a lot of my job involves talking to employees, really listening to what struggles they are having, and working with my team to create innovative solutions to how we, as a company, can help our employees live their best lives. A lot of the people I […]

The opioid epidemic gripping North Carolina is not only affecting adults or users of street drugs or illegal narcotics. Prescription opioid medications are responsible for more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. In 2017 alone, more than five North Carolinians died each day from an accidental overdose. That same year approximately 15 percent of N.C. […]

Health care is evolving at a rapid pace and we recognize that this can leave North Carolinians with tough choices to make. For 85 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has remained committed to advocating for our customers on issues of health care costs and access to care. Better […]

Over the past five years, drug costs as a percent of total health care dollars have increased 30 percent. These increases have caused prescription drugs to become more costly for many individuals and families. To help, starting January 1, 2019, Blue Cross NC will be passing back drug rebates directly to customers when they buy […]

If you were going to draw up an economy that makes absolutely no sense, you’d start with a system where prices go up as demand goes down. That’s nuts, right? Welcome to the world of prescription drug pricing. Data from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and the Blue Cross […]

One way to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic is to ensure that people have access to safe therapies that treat opioid use disorder. To that end, Blue Cross NC is taking steps to help patients get the care they need while ensuring their safety. On Nov. 1, we stopped requiring doctors to get […]

During my first few months as chief strategy and innovation officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), I’ve been struck by the energy behind transforming health care in North Carolina. And it was inspiring to see 160 business leaders show up recently at Triangle Business Journal’s Health Care Summit […]

We welcome the Trump Administration’s recent announcement of a pilot effort to rein in Medicare spending on prescription drugs. This is a reasonable first step toward getting spiraling drug prices under control. After all, prescription drug spending is growing faster than any other category of health care costs. As part of this pilot, Medicare will […]

Body mass index (better known as BMI) is a measurement – based on a person’s height and weight – used to indicate if a person is underweight, overweight or obese. Knowing your BMI is an easy and quick way to target a healthy weight.

“We are often loathe to give liberal amounts of narcotics because the drug addiction itself may become a hideous spectacle.” Those words were written by Warren Cole, MD, FACS, in 1956 for a book describing cancer pain treatment in the mid-20th century. In Dr. Cole’s day, physicians were trained to prescribe pain medications sparingly, or […]

Medication management is the process of staying up-to-date on the medications you are taking. The term “medication” refers to any prescribed, over-the-counter, dietary supplements, vitamins, herbals, or other substances you are taking to help manage or maintain your health. Why is it important? Over 60% of seniors have multiple chronic conditions and nearly 20% of […]

We are lowering health care costs for many of our individual ACA customers. Statewide, we are lowering rates by an average of 4.1 percent. [button link=”http://mediacenter.bcbsnc.com/news/blue-cross-nc-unc-health-alliance-agreement-lowers-triangle-aca-rates-by-more-than-21-percent” type=”icon” color=”lightblue”] We reached an agreement with UNC Health Alliance to lower individual ACA rates in the Greater Triangle Region by more than 21% before subsidies. Benefits are staying […]

Over the past year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has tried to foster a conversation with consumers about the opioid epidemic…

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) came to North Carolina in 2014. It has had its ups and downs. But we stayed in when times were tough, and you stayed with us. Through it all, we were led by our mission of improving the health and well-being of our customers and communities. Now today, we are […]

The good news is, Americans agree nearly unanimously on two things. The bad news is, one of those things is potentially dangerous: It’s vital for children to get routine exams. Check-ups don’t really matter much after childhood. Health screenings are crucial not only to gauging kids’ health as they grow, but they also allow health […]

The opioid problem won’t be solved overnight. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make significant progress in the short term here in North Carolina.   A research report called “The Opioid Epidemic in America: An Update” from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) published this week shows that the total number of opioid […]

The foundations of life are literally built in early childhood. A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on healthy child development. Health in the earliest years—beginning with the future mother’s well-being before she becomes pregnant—lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality.  The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of […]

Imagine this scenario. You’re in a combat zone. You have to tend to the gunshot wound of a fellow soldier with little more than a bag of medical supplies to help you. It’s not exactly a sterile environment – think desert conditions, sand, and dirt. Then you have to carry this wounded soldier, likely a […]

I’m lucky to have a career in medicine that gives me the chance to see the health care system from a lot of different angles, including the patient and family perspectives. As a pediatrician who is still practicing, I hear directly from parents who are struggling to get the best care for their families – […]

For centuries, tobacco has been a main crop in North Carolina. A lack of soil quality and fewer plantation-style farms helped tobacco farmers thrive. An accident led to the discovery of “bright-leaf”, a form of tobacco preferred by smokers, which caused the state to begin focusing mainly on tobacco and not on other crops. As […]

These days, it seems like every TV commercial break is filled with nothing but ads for medications. Drug firms spend a lot on marketing. In 2013, Johnson & Johnson – the drug company with the highest annual revenues – spent $17.5 billion on sales and marketing. That’s more than double the $8.2 billion they spent […]

Since a young age, our parents always stressed the value of having strong bones.

At our recent Tech Summit, I spoke about one of technology’s top trends, artificial intelligence. It’s playing a bigger role than ever in health care. You just might not recognize how. From improving health care processes to predicting when you might need to go into the hospital, AI is improving many aspects of the way […]

As humans, we believe that what we can’t see, can’t hurt us. We are wrong. What we can’t see, can sometimes be the deadliest. This is especially true when it comes to medical conditions and diseases. For years, doctors have been referring to high blood pressure as the “silent killer.” The condition impacting one in […]

Every day, opioid addiction destroys lives and tears apart families in North Carolina. It is a public health emergency that Blue Cross NC is committed to addressing. We’re announcing three policy changes for opioid prescriptions and treatment for opioid dependency. These changes will help prevent addiction, treat dependency, and save lives. The three changes are: […]

Want to help your kids turn into healthy adults? Make sure they become good readers. That’s right. There’s a link between literacy and health. According to research by the National Institutes of Health, poor reading ability is likely to lead to poor health. Reading is a healthy habit If you have kids and don’t routinely […]

The opioid epidemic is one of the most talked-about and devastating problems we face every day in North Carolina. For the longest time, it seemed like there was a lot of talk and not a lot of action. Political and community leaders, law enforcement, and health care organizations saw firsthand how critical the problem was […]

Often, when people think about what shapes a person’s health, they think about routine doctor visits, medications, and exercise—things largely within the control of our doctor and us. But there are many other circumstances at work. Where we live, how safe or stressful our environments are, our access to quality education, healthy foods, transportation, community […]

In the old days, life often began with an introduction to an unpleasant sensation called pain. A doctor would grab a newborn baby and give the child’s rear end a slap. When the child squealed in response, everyone would hear proof that the lungs were working just fine. From the first time we experience that […]

As a practicing physician, I’ve seen how investments to improve early childhood development and address social determinants of health lowers costs and improves health outcomes. One big question in health care today is “How can we make it more affordable?”  There are some obvious answers: Making sure hospitals and doctors are paid to keep people […]

It’s true. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is a not-for-profit health insurer. But we do pay taxes. In fact, we are fully taxed. We paid more than $500 million in federal, state and local taxes in 2017. Our tax rate is now lower since Congress passed the Federal Tax […]

Since moving to North Carolina a few months ago, my family and I have enjoyed getting to know our state and the people who make this such a great place to live. Given my role as president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, I’ve made it a point to ask […]

The 2017-2018 flu season has turned deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been “widespread” flu activity across the United States. Reports show that over 60,000 samples have tested positive for the flu and over 1,200 people have died due to flu-related complications. North Carolina has accounted for 2,500 […]

In health care we haven’t always focused on improving quality, lowering costs, and offering a better consumer experience. This is finally changing, and I’m optimistic about what this progress means for delivering better value for patients. Value has become a key topic in health care. That was certainly the case at the annual Forbes Healthcare […]

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (“Blue Cross NC”) and Mission Health have entered into an agreement for Mission Health provider participation in Blue Cross NC networks effective December 15, 2017.  Both parties are pleased to reach agreement on the mutual goal of ensuring that the people of Western North Carolina receive the […]

Open Enrollment is upon us (Nov. 1 to Dec. 15) and many customers are asking questions on social media and at our call center about their new ACA rates and changes.  Keep these in mind when reviewing your 2018 premium rates and while deciding what health plan is right for you. If you still have […]

In August we informed customers that we planned to eliminate Grandfathered Plans. We also recently sent out letters to these customers, and they are rightfully feeling a sense of “sticker shock” when seeing the new premiums for 2018. We understand they are frustrated because these insurance plans are discontinued, and premiums are going up. Grandfathered plan […]

Women are masters of multi-tasking. Often a busy lifestyle and responsibilities cause them to put their health on the back-burner. Family and work come first. They juggle work calls while in the carpool line. Then homework and dinner. Their calendars may be full of errands, meetings, and extracurricular events. It’s a time to remind women […]

All of us are likely familiar with the seriousness of opioid abuse in the United States today. Since the turn of the century, more than 11,000 Americans have died every year from overdoses of prescription pain pills – and many more struggle with the destructiveness that opioid dependence can bring.   I’ve written about the […]

A couple of months ago, I published a story about a former patient of mine who became addicted to prescription pain pills.  It generated a healthy discussion on social media about addiction and potential solutions to the growing problem of opioid abuse in North Carolina. Many of those suggested fixes were not only thoughtful, but […]

In this time of uncertainty in the health care industry, one thing is certain: skyrocketing medical costs are squeezing North Carolina families and businesses more than ever before. That’s why we are extremely disappointed that Mission Health System (Mission Health) has chosen to cancel their contract with us rather than work toward a solution to […]

You may have read a lot about millennials, also called Generation Y, on our blog recently. Born between 1981 and 1997, millennials are a big group. As a generation, they face a different set of health care issues than the generations before them. And so will their employers. Why do these changing health care trends […]

Would you pay $17 for a gallon of milk? You would have to if the cost of milk had increased 500 percent in the last 15 years. Unfortunately, that’s how fast costs for oral chemotherapy drugs are rising – from approximately $2,000 a month to $10,000 a month. Meanwhile, IV chemotherapy drug prices increased at […]

Two weeks ago our CEO, Brad Wilson, wrote about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what it means for individual premiums in 2018. Today we’re following up by announcing the proposed rates we’ve filed for ACA coverage next year in all 100 North Carolina counties. Our ACA customers will receive an average […]

Uncertainty over the future of the Affordable Care Act is not helping health insurers prepare to offer ACA coverage next year. It also is not helping the more than 500,000 North Carolinians who depend on the ACA for access to health care. At Blue Cross NC our actuaries are working hard to propose plans and […]

After being a patient of mine for nearly a year, an elderly woman came into my office for a follow-up visit. She had been what we physicians would consider a “good patient”: never canceled appointments, never asked for early prescription refills, never claimed she’d lost a prescription and needed a new one. Always well dressed […]

We live in an age when we can buy groceries from our living room and have them delivered in two hours. We can lie on the beach and read about which cars have the fewest breakdowns. We can even watch an instructional video on golfing while we’re golfing. As consumers, we can compare the prices […]

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you’ve probably heard about specialty drugs. And more often than not, the news coverage is about how much those drugs cost. What’s the big deal about specialty drugs? If you’re not taking one, do you have to care about how much they cost? Unfortunately, yes, you do. We […]

If you’re reading this – if you’ve been conscious and alert for the past several decades – you already know that health care costs are out of control. You feel it every time you see a doctor. Every time you pick up a prescription. Every time you interact with our nation’s health care system. It […]

The time of year has come when many of us are crunching numbers, reviewing our finances and prepping our taxes. It’s no different here at Blue Cross. We have just wrapped up preparing and filing our yearly financial results. Now is good time to pause to reflect on how we have delivered on our promises […]

Our last blog post addressing some common misconceptions about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – commonly known as Obamacare – drew a big response from readers. But don’t worry. There are plenty more myths about the law and they’re ripe for busting. Here are a few more common misconceptions shared about the law on the BCBSNC Facebook […]

In this era of “fake news” and opinions that are stated with convincing certainty, you may find it hard to know what’s real. Especially when it comes to something as complex as health care. The thin line between myth and reality seems to get a lot thinner when it comes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also […]

In 2014, BCBSNC gave 3,500 free or discounted Fitbits to its employees who wanted to take part in its company wellness programs. While participants didn’t see changes in their body mass indexes (BMI) overall, they did see results in monthly healthcare cost savings. How much? Team members that signed up for the company’s Fitbit challenges […]

In December 2016, Eli Lilly & Co. announced a discount program effective in 2017 for people who pay largely out-of-pocket for the company’s insulin products. Check with your insurer to see if you qualify for the discount.   Why Does Insulin Cost So Much? According to one recent study, the cost of insulin tripled in […]

You’ve probably heard some of the recent conversation about the steep price hikes for the EpiPen, an injection device that delivers epinephrine. Epinephrine is a life-saving hormone given to people suffering severe allergic reactions. Health care experts and news media have tried in recent weeks to explain why the cost of the EpiPen has climbed […]

Of all the things driving medical costs higher, none gets attention quite like specialty drugs. With prices increasing to the tune of 17 percent to 31 percent a year, it’s not a surprise that these drugs are under intense scrutiny. Specialty drugs – those that are used to treat complex conditions or reach a limited […]

From cutting the cable cord to buying “tiny homes,” consumers today are taking a hard look at the value of their purchases. This trend toward value has come to health care in some big ways, too. Narrow network plans are a viable alternative to plans with broader networks that usually come with a heftier price […]

Blue Cross CEO Brad Wilson has a prescription for making the Affordable Care Act sustainable. He shared his thoughts on putting “affordable” in the ACA in this opinion piece in The News & Observer of Raleigh. “Simply put, the ACA is not financially sustainable without changes in the way the law is administered,” he wrote. He urged […]

There was a time when generic drugs were the tried-and-true way to save money on prescriptions. While that’s still true in the vast majority of cases, some notable exceptions mean that it’s time to revisit the age-old advice to always ask for generics. Pharmaceutical companies take a number of steps to boost revenue before the […]

If you buy your own individual health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, we have news on what to expect next year. In 2017, your insurance premiums will be going up, but not as much as in previous years. Today, we’re announcing that our filing with state and federal regulators calls for an average 18.8 […]

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina returned to profitability in 2015. Our financial health improved from 2014, despite the steeper losses we incurred on our Affordable Care Act (ACA) line of business. For us, and for most other insurers, the story continues to be how the ACA is posing serious challenges for our […]

Working as a freelancer or contractor is a good option for millions of Americans who can do without corporate bureaucracy, office politics and the ever-present threat of being laid off. If the so-called “gig economy” is how you earn a living, you might also think you can do without health insurance. But that could be […]

As a company who has served North Carolina for as long as we have, we don’t take it lightly when ending a relationship. We recently made a difficult decision to end our contract with Carteret Health Care, a community hospital in Eastern N.C. After three years of attempting to reach an agreement with the hospital […]

Health insurance. It’s on the minds of Americans now more than ever, especially since health insurers began implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, in 2013. The ACA, and all of the changes that came along with it, have made health insurance more confusing than ever before. And that has people talking. […]

The first car I ever bought was a 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I cannot recall exactly what I paid for it, but it was a fraction of the average price of a new car today. Automobile prices have risen dramatically over the last several decades, yet no one seems up in arms over it. I […]

The Rx Cost Debate With prescription drug spending soaring, many consumers and health care experts are wondering if any relief is in sight for the pain of rising costs. U.S. spending on prescriptions hit $379 billion last year. That was an increase of 13% in one year, which was the sharpest annual increase in at least […]

Health insurance works by having a large pool of customers paying in. So when a fraction of that pool drops out, it’s no big deal since there are a lot of people left, correct? It turns out that it actually is a pretty big deal. In the first six months of this year, BCBSNC paid […]

When the Affordable Care Act took effect, there were a host of predictions that the new law would leave no room for health insurance agents to offer their services. A column in Forbes even predicted the “mass firing” of agents. Fast forward a few years, and we find that the business of health insurance agents […]

In a climate of sharply higher health care costs under the Affordable Care Act, one number stands out: 33 percent. That’s how much prescription drug costs under ACA coverage rose in one year, according to a review of our claims data. Prescription claims averaged $96.70 per month for each ACA customer in the first six […]

It seemed like the right thing to do at the time: You’re not feeling well. It’s late. You’re worried something terrible might happen.  So you get someone to drive you to the emergency room, you wait for a few hours, and then you’re discharged. In a few days, you’re back to normal. That is, until […]

Since the start of the Affordable Care Act, BCBSNC has exceeded the law’s requirements for spending on medical care for customers. That streak continues with our report for 2014. Out of every health insurance premium dollar collected across our various lines of business, we spent an average of 87.3 cents on medical care last year. […]

The Roots of Telemedicine What were you doing in November of 1997? Maybe you were at home on the family computer, using new technology to chat with your family or friends. It seemed pretty amazing, right? Also around that same time, these same advances emerged in the medical world, allowing patients and doctors to connect outside […]

According to a common phrase, “All health care is local.” This is certainly true in North Carolina, where our market for coverage under the Affordable Care Act is experiencing a severe cost problem. New ACA customers in our state are continuing to use their health care benefits much more than expected for expensive medical services. […]

Last week the federal government issued a report about payments to health insurers under the Affordable Care Act. Many people interpreted that report as indicating a “windfall” for insurers. In fact, the opposite is true for BCBSNC: Even when you account for the significant payments we received from the federal government, we lost more than […]

Since its inception, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, has been a source of confusion for everyone—from consumers to health insurance companies. And everyone in between. Besides changing the way consumers buy and pay for health insurance, the law itself has faced a number of legal challenges. The latest, King v. Burwell, […]

More than 25 million Americans are on statin drugs to lower their cholesterol. Statins have been around for nearly three decades, are safe and effective for most patients, and retail for as little as $48 a year if you get generics.  A new class of drugs that cleared a regulatory hurdle last week also lowers […]

There really is a solution to the age-old problem of uncoordinated health care — the kind of care that bounces you from place to place for various procedures and tests. Or leaves you wondering why your doctor never seems to know what medications you’re on. The answer is the team-based approach to care. It’s a […]

Every so often a report comes out that forecasts a physician shortage, especially among primary care doctors. It happened again in March when the Association of American Medical Colleges warned that as many as 31,000 more primary care physicians in the United States are needed by 2025. Projections for North Carolina aren’t any rosier. By […]

There’s more good news for health care consumers who want some idea what medical procedures cost — before they get the bill. Consider these recent examples: A startup called Clearhealthcosts.com is partnering with public radio stations in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco to ask consumer to share what they’ve been billed for medical procedures. […]

Our 2014 financial results, announced to news media today (Feb. 27) and filed with North Carolina insurance regulators, include something we haven’t seen since the late 1990s: A net loss. The $50.6 million net loss, while certainly a disappointment to the company, was not a surprise. Gerald Petkau, BCBSNC’s senior vice president and chief financial […]

The Bigger Picture The launch of our new health care cost tool picked up some national attention earlier this month. Health care experts said the online tool gives the public more information for making decisions about their medical care. But the tool itself is only part of the story. The bigger picture is that the curtain is […]

Health care accounts for almost one-fifth of the U.S. economy — or $2.8 trillion, give or take a few hundred billion. So it stands to reason that any forecast of our economy for 2015 needs to include a healthy dose of health care. Our CEO, Brad Wilson, highlighted just that fact in his Jan. 5 […]

How would you feel if you were expected to buy a car, a television or even a meal, without knowing first how much it will cost you? Confused? Helpless? Frustrated? Unfortunately, that’s exactly how many of us feel when we’re faced with planning a medical test or procedure. We have no idea how much an […]

Imagine a future where you — the health care consumer — are truly in charge of your care. Where you have the information you need to make smart decisions. And where you shop for health services the way you’d shop for a new car or hire an electrician. Is this a safe prediction for health […]

Have you ever wondered if every medical test or procedure is really necessary? Clearly, some aren’t. The Institute of Medicine says $210 billion is wasted each year on medical overtreatment — tests and procedures that either aren’t necessary or duplicate previous tests. Overtreatment can even happen when you do something as simple as switching doctors. […]

You might not know it, but the odds are increasing that your doctor or hospital is getting paid for the quality of care you receive. The world of medical payments continues to shift in favor of health care value, and away from the volume of procedures performed, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association says […]

In a nation that spends a few trillion dollars a year on health care, there are bound to be some who try to take advantage of the system for their own gain. After all, it’s just a drop in the bucket, right? Wrong. These fraudulent actions have a big and expensive impact. In 2013, the […]

Get ready for more options when it comes to choosing your annual health benefits. BCBSNC is launching its first private exchange for North Carolina employers with at least 51 employees. Beginning Sept. 1, the exchange lets employers select up to four different medical plans to offer their employees from a menu of 18 plan options. […]

You have to love the TV pitchman’s favorite question: “Why pay more?” But it’s no longer good for a chuckle when you find out there’s an actual answer. In the case of Sovaldi, the new hepatitis C drug, someone has to pay more — a lot more — than what the vast majority of other […]

All the cheeseburgers, cigarettes and channel-surfing Americans enjoy certainly take their toll: Unhealthy lifestyles account for up to 40% of all deaths in the U.S. As if that’s not enough, think about the financial toll. Overall, treating preventable diseases caused by unhealthy habits costs $1.5 trillion annually. Yes, you read that correctly. $1.5 trillion. That’s […]

The first cycle of enrollments on the new government-run health exchanges is over. The next open enrollment period doesn’t start until November. Which makes this “quiet” period the perfect time to take stock of what’s happening with another new mechanism for obtaining health insurance: The private exchange. Private exchanges are the emerging marketplaces offered by […]

If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll have noticed that collaboration is at the heart of what we do here at BCBSNC—it’s one of our core principles. But collaboration extends far beyond what we do in the workplace; it greatly inspires what we do in the community and industry. One of those prime examples is […]

If you’re searching for evidence that health care consolidation drives up health care costs, look no farther than this month’s issue of the journal Health Affairs. Researchers at Stanford University examined what happens to rates for hospital services following hospital acquisitions of physician practices. Perhaps not surprisingly, hospital ownership of practices was associated with higher […]