Datapoint: N.C. Blues Says Specialty Pharmacy Management Reduced Premiums
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) said that the price of its average marketplace plan premium in 2024 will decrease by 4% compared to plan year 2023. The Blues affiliate projects that the rate change will result in $130 million in premium savings for plan members. A press release touted BCBSNC’s pharmacy management, particularly in specialty, as a reason for the reduced rates: “while pharmaceutical costs in the U.S. grew 9.4% in 2022, Blue Cross NC successfully held down the overall pharmacy trend for its individual ACA market to 0.7% in 2022 and to 2.9%, so far in 2023.” The Blues affiliate is currently the largest insurer in its home state, serving 2,359,756 members, with 378,370 enrolled in exchange plans.
Source: AIS’s Directory of Health Plans
