Novant Health, Blue Cross NC Agreement Strengthens Access to Care

12 Dec 2024

Organizations extend agreement to increase access, create value and lower the cost of care

DURHAM, N.C. - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), the state's largest not-for-profit health insurer, and Novant Health, one of the largest non-profit hospital systems in North Carolina and the Southeast, have signed a new, multi-year network agreement.

The three-year agreement will enable Blue Cross NC and Novant Health to continue collaboration to improve care and access for patients across North Carolina, especially in rural areas. The agreement will leverage Novant Health's diverse network of care settings and tailor services to patients' needs, ultimately making care more affordable. This extension applies to Blue Cross NC members in commercial, Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans. Additionally, Blue Cross NC offers Blue Home with Novant Health, which is built on Novant's network of providers and anchors Blue Cross NC's ACA network in the greater Winston-Salem and Charlotte regions.

In addition to aligning the organizations' interests around providing plan members with access to the highest quality health care, Blue Cross NC and Novant Health will jointly focus on reducing costs by making care more accessible in outpatient settings where costs are lower for employers and patients. Through this agreement, Blue Cross NC and Novant Health will also augment their efforts to help plan members stay healthy.

Novant Health also participates in Blue Cross NC's Blue Premier program, which is helping make health care more affordable. Participating doctors and hospitals and Blue Cross NC are jointly accountable for meeting quality and cost measures. This approach modernizes health care by rewarding quality of care, resulting in fewer unplanned hospital admissions and more preventative care. The program has helped Blue Cross NC curtail the impact of medical cost inflation in premiums and has generated more than $650 million in savings since 2019.

For more information, visit NovantHealth.org/HealthInsurance or bluecrossnc.com.

About Novant Health

Novant Health is an integrated network of more than 900 locations, including 19 hospitals, more than 750 physician clinics and urgent care centers, outpatient facilities, and imaging and pharmacy services. This network supports a seamless and personalized healthcare experience for communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. Novant Health is nationally recognized for our unwavering commitment to safety and the highest quality care, and we serve as a catalyst for healthcare transformation through clinical trials, leading-edge research, innovative care delivery models and robust virtual care networks. The expertise and empathy of our more than 40,000 team members along with more than 8,500 independent and employed clinicians are at the heart of Our Cause as industry leaders caring for communities across the Carolinas. In 2023, Novant Health provided more than $1.6 billion in community benefit, including financial assistance and services.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Blue Cross NC, the leading not-for-profit health plan in North Carolina, is committed to making health care more affordable, easier to navigate and accessible for all. Since 1933, the health insurer has created programs and initiatives to provide North Carolinians the opportunity to be healthy. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 4.2 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC 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.

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