Blue Cross NC to cut rates for Affordable Care Act customers

Health Insurance premiums for many Affordable Care Act customers in the Triangle are set to drop next year.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and UNC Health Care announced Wednesday that Blue Cross NC will cut ACA rates for individual customers in the Triangle by an average of 4.5 percent.

"For the second year in a row, our agreement with UNC Health Care is lowering costs for our customers," said Patrick Conway, President and CEO of Blue Cross NC. "We have a lot of work left to do, but this shows what's possible when both the insurer and the provider are jointly responsible for better, simpler, more affordable care. We're going to keep building on these successes, and become a national model for what high-quality, more affordable, consumer-focused health care looks like."

Rates have dropped on average by 25 percent during the past two years.

Blue Cross NC is lowering rates by an average of 5.5 percent statewide.

This will be the first time that customers will see an average rate decrease in all 100 counties in more than 25 years. Blue Cross said this will cut health-care costs by about $20 million in 2020.

Members in the Triangle will now have access to 'Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance' for 2020. 'Blue Value with UNC Health Alliance' will not be offered in 2020. 'Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance' will be available in Wake, Johnston, Franklin, Lee, Chatham, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Caswell and Person Counties.