Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) announced today that they have filed the necessary documents with the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) to allow most of its non-grandfathered individual customers to keep their current health plans for another year. Customers with Blue Advantage, Blue Advantage Saver, Blue Value and Blue Options HSA policies whose plans were in place as of Oct. 1, 2013 will be eligible to renew their plans.

The NCDOI will be responsible for reviewing and approving rates for these renewed plans. BCBSNC submitted a rate increase of 16.4 percent for its Blue Advantage plans; 22 percent for Blue Value and 23.6 percent for its Blue Saver and Blue Options HSA plans. 2014 plan premiums reflect changes in the cost of care for all non-grandfathered customers with individual BCBSNC plans. This includes the price of care as well as the quantity of services used by this pool of customers. New taxes and fees under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – which also apply to these plans – also contribute to the increase.

BCBSNC expects to mail revised renewal notices to eligible customers by Dec. 1. These customers will be automatically renewed in their 2013 plan for another year or may choose an ACA-compliant plan, which might come with additional benefits and a subsidy.

Renewing 2013 plans will delay some of the more challenging consumer impacts of the ACA for another year and alleviate concerns of consumers who have had difficulty accessing the Exchange. Non-grandfathered customers will need to move to ACA-compliant plans for 2015.

This information was released by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina 11/19/13.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). Call us for details.