UNC Health, North Carolina’s leading public academic medical system, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), the state’s largest not-for-profit health insurer, have signed a new, long-term extension to their network agreement.

The four-year agreement will enable UNC Health and Blue Cross NC to continue collaboration on new ways to improve care and access for patients across North Carolina, especially in rural areas. The agreement gives Blue Cross NC members access to UNC Health across the state, including Commercial, ACA, and Medicare Advantage plans. Blue Cross NC offers individual ACA plans in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties. UNC Health has been a part of Blue Cross NC’s ACA network since the beginning, and the anchor for Blue Cross NC’s ACA network in the Triangle.

“We are proud of our decades-long partnership with Blue Cross NC, and the benefits it brings for our patients,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health. “We have introduced multiple, innovative efforts that have helped improve care and reduce costs, and I look forward to further collaboration in the coming years.”

“As health care continues to evolve in our state, it is critical we proactively seek ways to make health care more affordable and accessible,” said Tunde Sotunde, Blue Cross NC CEO. “We are excited for the possibilities ahead as we continue to work with UNC Health to make sure all North Carolinians have the opportunity to be healthy.”

Working with Blue Cross NC for many years without interruption has provided stability and peace of mind for UNC Health patients and providers.

The extended agreement also includes continued participation in Blue Cross NC’s Blue Premier program, in which UNC Health was an inaugural member in 2019. Blue Premier is recognized as one of the most rapid and comprehensive shifts to value-based (or healthy-based) care in the nation, generating $650 million in savings since 2019. 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.

UNC Health and Blue Cross NC have a long history of working together. This includes joining forces to conduct a clinical study to improve food security and chronic conditions, and creating a physician’s assistant master’s degree for veteran medics at the UNC School of Medicine.

For more information, read the full press release in our Newsroom.