New ACO will improve health care quality and lower costs for Wake County patients CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and Key Physicians (Key), an independent, nationally accredited...

In response to today’s decision that BCBSNC will continue to serve most of the State Health Plan members, Brad Wilson, President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina offered the following statement

“Imagine how scary it would be to stand by and watch a loved one go into cardiac arrest because you didn’t know CPR,” said Brad Wilson, BCBSNC president and CEO. “We want North Carolinians to feel prepared to react in a situation like this. Strive to Revive gives our communities the tools and training they need to take action in case of a cardiac emergency.”

“The premium rate increase for individual products reflects the past year’s increase of the underlying cost of health care services and growth in certain procedures,” said BCBSNC Chief Actuary Patrick Getzen.

“We’re on our way to a health care system in North Carolina that rewards doctors and hospitals for quality, not quantity of services. Organizations like these are an important step as we continue down this path.” said Dr. Don Bradley, BCBSNC chief medical officer. “Wilmington Health has already shown leadership in improving quality through collaboration and teamwork. Together we can achieve our shared goals of improving efficiency and health outcomes while ultimately lowering health care costs for our customers.”

“GO NC! will provide new ways to help increase outdoor physical activity in North Carolina,” said Brad Wilson, BCBSNC president and CEO. “Every $1 spent building biking trails and walking paths can save about $3 in medical expenses. Through GO NC!, BCBSNC hopes to improve health and reduce obesity-related medical costs in North Carolina.”

BCBSNC President and CEO Brad Wilson has issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold the majority of the Affordable Care Act.

“The fact that we exceeded the federal requirement for health care spending in 2011 means that we spend at least an extra $230 million on our customer’s health care than our competitors who are issuing rebates,” BCBSNC President and CEO Brad Wilson said. “BCBSNC continues to lead the way in improving access to quality health care and better health outcomes for our customers.”

“We received a great response to our call for innovative ideas, which we hope will help improve the overall health of North Carolinians and reduce the obesity rate in North Carolina,” said Sean Kerns, BCBSNC vice president of Diversified Markets. “This challenge gave us the opportunity to tap into the vast depth of knowledge of individuals across our state to influence and impact change.”

“The Patient Care Summary gives us a snapshot of our patients’ health care experience and allows us to better manage their care,” said Dr. Tom Warcup, medical director at Carolina Advanced Health, an innovative primary care practice, created by BCBSNC and UNC Health Care, focused on managing chronic conditions for BCBSNC customers. “BCBSNC provides this information in an easy-to-access format, which allows us to address potential gaps in care before they become larger problems.”