Blue Cross NC Lowers Average 2021 ACA Rates for Individuals

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) released two media announcements today. Key points include:

• Blue Cross NC will be reducing rates by an average of one percent statewide for 2021 Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans offered to individuals. This is the third straight year that Blue Cross NC has lowered rates—a three-year total reduction since 2018 of over $380 million. 
• Blue Cross NC is continuing to offer all current products for its individual under-65 customers in 2021 and will continue to offer additional narrow network plans in certain markets, to help keep costs as low as possible. This includes a new plan that can reduce health care costs in the Charlotte region by $20 million in 2021, if customers move to this plan.
• Blue Cross NC is also reintroducing Blue Advantage^®, its broad network PPO, for individual customers into the Triangle, Charlotte and Gastonia regions. This product will be available Off-Exchange only in these areas.
• Blue Cross NC will continue offering renewal of transitional plans in 2021. These are plans purchased between March 2010, when the ACA was signed, and October 2013 when regulations went into effect. Transitional plans do not meet ACA requirements but are allowed by federal law. The plans cannot be sold to new customers.  

Learn more in the complete press releases:

• Blue Cross NC Lowers Average 2021 ACA Rates for Individuals
• Blue Cross NC, Novant Health Working to Save ACA Customers in Charlotte and Winston-Salem up to Eight Percent in 2021