DURHAM, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) announced it will offer a new Blue High Performance NetworkSM (Blue HPNSM) narrow network Exclusive Provider Network product in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area beginning January 2021. It provides members with access to a comprehensive set of high-quality doctors, hospitals and specialists, while lowering costs for employers. More than 185 million Americans in more than 58 major markets across the country will have access to Blue HPN.

In Charlotte, Blue Cross NC is collaborating with Atrium Health to deliver high quality and lower cost for Blue HPN. Atrium Health is part of Blue Cross NC’s value-based care model, Blue Premier, which holds health systems and Blue Cross NC jointly accountable for better health outcomes, exceptional experiences and lower costs over the term of the arrangement.

Members enrolled in Blue HPN will have seamless access to quality care through a national network that offers more than 10 percent total cost of care savings, on average, on top of the  savings already delivered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies’ broad Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). In the Charlotte area, employers can expect to see a savings of 17 percent with Blue HPN compared to Blue Cross NC’s PPO network. This is achieved by improving the coordination of care within a limited network of providers.

“Blue HPN is another example of how Blue Cross NC is committed to making health care better, simpler and more affordable with great providers like Atrium Health,” said Steve Crist, vice president of major accounts at Blue Cross NC. “We are excited to provide this comprehensive and unmatched product that reduces costs while teaming up with doctors and hospitals committed to quality outcomes.”

“We believe that working people trust Atrium Health’s medical experts to provide their families with some of the best care available in the nation,” said Anthony DeFurio, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Atrium Health. “Many employers already recognize us as the first and best choice for care that their employees want in their network. By participating in the Blue High Performance Network, we’re able to help families access high-quality, outcome-based care that is designed to lower the total cost of care for both the patients seeking care and the employers providing their insurance coverage.”

In North Carolina, Blue HPN will begin in Charlotte and the Triad areas, and then expand to other markets in the state.

 

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) improves the health and well-being of our customers and communities by providing innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.9 million members, including approximately 1.1 million served on behalf of other Blue Plans. Since 1933, we have worked to make North Carolina a better place to live through our support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit Blue Cross NC online at bluecrossnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

About Atrium Health
Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through innovative research, education and compassionate patient care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health is an integrated, not-for-profit healthcare system with over 55,000 teammates at nearly 40 hospitals and hundreds of care locations throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. Atrium Health provides top-ranked pediatric, cancer and heart care to patients, as well as specialized musculoskeletal programs and organ transplants. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for cancer treatment and in eight  different pediatric specialties, it has also received the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize and was the recipient of the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Award for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care. Its flagship hospital, Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center, is the region’s only Level I trauma center and is consistently rated among the nation’s best. Atrium Health is also a leading-edge innovator in virtual care and mobile medicine, providing care close to home and in the home. With a commitment to every community it serves, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all. Over the past three years, Atrium Health has provided nearly $2 billion per year in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits.

 

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