A proposed bill in the state House would grant the state’s biggest non-profit insurer broad leeway to operate like a for-profit company. But what they’re really after – or what it might mean for customers – remains elusive.
By: Rose Hoban
For 90 years, Blue Cross NC has been a constant in the state: the largest health insurance provider across all 100 counties, a ubiquitous advertising and philanthropy presence, and one of the most influential political actors in the state.
Now, after a high-profile contract loss this winter, the nonprofit health insurance carrier is asking lawmakers for a serious and potentially far-reaching change to state regulations so that it can behave more like national for-profit competitors.
On Monday, North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey came out swinging against the bill, taking a fight that has been brewing inside the General Assembly this spring to the broader public.
“I think that this legislation is missing many provisions that’s necessary to protect the people, the policyholders,” Causey said. “[It] does not provide for a meaningful review of reorganization.”