Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Wake Forest Baptist Health announced an agreement that could reduce Affordable Care Act (ACA) rates for small business customers with 1 to 50 eligible employees by up to 15%.
Durham, N.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Wake Forest Baptist Health announced an agreement that could reduce Affordable Care Act (ACA) rates for small business customers with 1 to 50 eligible employees by up to 15%. The agreement means $2 million in reduction in healthcare costs for 2020 in the region.
“Small business owners are struggling to offer employees health insurance at an affordable price,” said John Roos, Blue Cross NC’s Chief Growth Officer. “Our new product with Wake Forest Baptist will address this challenge head on by delivering a 15% lower rate on average, and access to an excellent network of doctors and hospitals.”
“We are glad to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield to offer affordable healthcare options to local small businesses,” said Terry Williams, Chief Strategy Officer at Wake Forest Baptist. “We look forward to serving those who choose Wake Forest Baptist for their healthcare needs.”
The decreases will be available through a new product called Blue LocalSM with Wake Forest Baptist Health.
This new offering takes advantage of Wake Forest Baptist’s expertise and progress in providing value-based care to patients for the past 5 years. ACA patients in our existing service area already trust us with their healthcare.
AI in Health Care: Balancing Governance, Innovation, and Trust
September 2nd 2025In this conversation with Reuben Daniel, associate vice president of artificial intelligence at UPMC Health Plan, we dive into how UPMC Health Plan builds trust with providers and members, discuss challenges of scaling AI effectively, and hear about concrete examples of AI's positive impact.
Listen
Managed Care Reflections: A Q&A With Dora Hughes, MD, MPH
September 4th 2025To mark the 30th anniversary of The American Journal of Managed Care, each issue in 2025 includes a special feature: reflections from a thought leader on what has changed—and what has not—over the past 3 decades and what’s next for managed care. The September issue features a conversation with Dora Hughes, MD, MPH, chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at CMS.
Read More
Prevention, Early Intervention Highlighted in Updated High Blood Pressure Guidelines
September 4th 2025A new joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology emphasizes early treatment, close perinatal blood pressure monitoring, and incorporating the PREVENT risk calculator to personalize care.
Read More