News

BCBSNC wins State Health Plan TPA, PBM contracts

In addition to voting on preferred provider hospital systems, benefit changes, and premiums for 2027 at its Friday board meeting, the North Carolina State Health Plan Board of Trustees also awarded the Third-Party Administrator (TPA) and Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) contracts to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) effective January 2028.This will bring BCBSNC back as the TPA after a three-year hiatus. CVS Caremark is the current PBM for the SHP.

Theresa Opeka
News

State Health Plan board votes on benefit restructuring strategies

On Tuesday, the North Carolina State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its meeting to approve the implementation of a three-tier provider network for 2027 that will strengthen the Preferred Provider Program (PPP), which will steer members toward providers at a cost savings for both the member and the State Health Plan (SHP), while delivering a volume of patients to preferred providers.

Theresa Opeka
Opinion

Access is key in Medicaid fight

Republicans believe their decade long reforms to Medicaid have made the program more manageable. They now think Congress is locked in to paying for 90% of the program in perpetuity. However, there are challenges to enacting Medicaid Expansion even though the Governor and both GOP leaders in the State House and State Senate now agree in principle on Medicaid expansion.

Dallas Woodhouse

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News

Hometown Debate discusses N.C.’s rural-urban health care divide

Rural hospitals are finding it more difficult to stay open. Since 2006, 11 rural hospitals in North Carolina have closed — seven in the past six years, as more people move to cities and suburbs. “Access to Health Care in Rural Areas” was the topic of discussion as a panel of state lawmakers and health...

Branson Inscore
News

Final Hometown Debate focuses on tax cap amendment

Legislators and policy advocates debated Tuesday in Gastonia over a proposed constitutional amendment which would lower the cap on state income tax rates from 10 to 7 percent. The personal income tax now sits at a flat rate of 5.499 percent. The amendment originated as a bill in the state Senate, and featured a 5.5...

Will Rierson
News

Debaters agree on need to pay teachers more, disagree on how

NEWTON — Legislators and policy experts agree that North Carolina teachers need more pay. They disagree on how to dole out the money. Pay raises should be based on how a teacher performs in the classroom, said Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, at an education policy debate Oct. 24. The event, hosted by the N.C. Institute on...

Kari Travis
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