CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has filed the necessary documents with the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) to allow most of its non-grandfathered individual customers to keep their current health plans for another year. Customers with Blue Advantage®, Blue Advantage SaverSM, Blue ValueSM and Blue Options HSASM policies whose plans were in place as of Oct. 1, 2013 will be eligible to renew their plans.

“By taking this action, we are giving approximately 230,000 customers an additional option to consider as they weigh their health insurance choices for 2014,” said Brad Wilson, President and CEO of BCBSNC. “These are high-quality health plans that have provided great value and peace of mind for our customers. We believe many of them will welcome the opportunity to renew these plans for another year.”

The NCDOI will be responsible for reviewing and approving rates for these renewed plans. BCBSNC submitted a rate increase of 16.4 percent for its Blue Advantage plans; 22 percent for Blue Value and 23.6 percent for its Blue Saver and Blue Options HSA plans. 2014 plan premiums reflect changes in the cost of care for all non-grandfathered customers with individual BCBSNC plans. This includes the price of care as well as the quantity of services used by this pool of customers. New taxes and fees under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – which also apply to these plans – also contribute to the increase.

BCBSNC expects to mail revised renewal notices to eligible customers by Dec. 1. These customers will be automatically renewed in their 2013 plan for another year or may choose an ACA-compliant plan, which might come with additional benefits and a subsidy.

Renewing 2013 plans will delay some of the more challenging consumer impacts of the ACA for another year and alleviate concerns of consumers who have had difficulty accessing the Exchange. Non-grandfathered customers will need to move to ACA-compliant plans for 2015.

 

About BCBSNC:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.74 million members, including approximately 1 million served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For generations, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute in 2012 and 2013. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

###