COMMISSIONER CAUSEY, NC CHAMBER, BLUE CROSS NC TOUT NEW SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH PLAN

The following information was released by the North Carolina Department of Insurance:

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey joined leaders from the NC Chamber and Blue Cross NC in announcing a new kind of health insurance policy available for many North Carolina small businesses during a news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The new plan, the first of its kind in North Carolina, is a collaboration between the NC Chamber and Blue Cross NC called Carolina HealthWorks. It's a multiple employer welfare arrangement, known by the acronym MEWA.

Commissioner Causey was joined at the news conference by NC Chamber President Gary Salamido and Blue Cross NC Senior Vice President for Health Plan Business Fran Gary.

"Finding affordable insurance has been a challenge for businesses and individuals alike," Commissioner Causey said. "That's especially true for small businesses. Many small business owners have told me about their struggles to find affordable healthcare for their employees."

Commissioner Causey noted that the plan is for NC Chamber members and members of participating local chambers and encouraged small business owners belonging to the Chamber to see if the plan works for them.

"We need to continue to look for ways to help get North Carolinians more affordable healthcare," Commissioner Causey said. He also thanked the N.C. General Assembly and Gov. Josh Stein for working to make the idea law. He also thanked the Department of Insurance's review team "for going above and beyond" in their efforts to get the plan approved.

"Small businesses are the lifeblood of North Carolina's economy more than 1 million strong and employing nearly half of our state's private workforce. But when it comes to health coverage, small employers have faced some of the toughest challenges: higher costs, fewer choices, and less control," Salamido said. "The NC Chamber is proud to partner with Blue Cross NC to bring forward Carolina HealthWorks, a real solution that puts affordable, high-quality health care within reach for small businesses, their employees, and the families who depend on them."

"Carolina HealthWorks is a bold, collaborative solution to the rising cost of health care for small businesses," said Dr. Tunde Sotunde, CEO of Blue Cross NC. "By partnering with organizations like the NC Chamber and the Department of Insurance, Blue Cross NC is driving innovation and working to stabilize a volatile market. This is the kind of creative action needed to make health care more affordable across North Carolina."