New White Paper Calls for Health Insurer Transparency and More Competition in North Carolina

Health insurers make healthcare more challenging in the Tar Heel state by denying millions of claims, raising premiums and reporting billions in revenue.

RALEIGH, N.C., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Carolina Center for Health & Democracy released a new white paper, "How Do We Fix Healthcare in North Carolina," authored by health insurance payment reform advocate, bestselling author and former health insurance executive, Wendell Potter.

"The United States healthcare system is facing rising costs, lack of access to care and disparities in health outcomes. As a former healthcare executive, I've consistently called for reforms to one of the main problems I see in healthcare: health insurers," Wendell Potter writes in the white paper. "The complicated landscape of healthcare and the challenges brought on by health insurers negatively impact patients, who expect transparent, high-quality and affordable healthcare."

Potter and Dr. David McLennan, professor of political science and director of the Meredith Poll at Meredith College, released the white paper at an in-person panel at Meredith College on Wednesday, April 26 to business, community leaders and students. Dr. McLennan detailed consumer sentiments from his fall 2022 Meredith Poll on how North Carolinians feel about their health insurers, reporting that just 8.3 percent of North Carolinians think health insurers have their best interests in mind.

Key themes from the white paper include:

• Record profits amassed from higher annual premiums. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina reported $10.7 billion in revenue in 2021 and a net income of $559.3 million.
• Increased claims denied for in-network care. BCBSNC denied more than 2.9 million in-network claims in 2020 and 2021 for those with coverage through the ACA marketplace.
• Limited specialists' networks. In one example, United Healthcare cut ties with North Carolina anesthesia providers, leaving thousands of patients out-of-network with pending surgeries and procedures.

McLennan and Potter urged North Carolina policymakers to consider stronger regulation of the state's insurance companies to ensure affordable access to care for North Carolinians and the long-term sustainability of the state's providers.

To download the white paper, visit https://www.nchealthanddemocracy.org/how-do-we-fix-healthcare-in-north-carolina/.

The North Carolina Center for Health and Democracy examines the status of health care in the state, educating audiences about the role health insurance companies have on costs, access, care outcomes and the long-term sustainability of care for North Carolinians.

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SOURCE North Carolina Center for Health and Democracy