RALEIGH — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, announced Tuesday a “strategic affiliation” between the two not-for-profit companies. According to a press release, the goal of the affiliation is “to improve quality, lower costs, and deliver an exceptional experience for consumers.”
“We have to do something different to make health care better, simpler, and more affordable for the people we serve,” said Dr. Patrick Conway, President and CEO of Blue Cross NC. “By sharing resources, innovations, and best-in-class services we can fundamentally transform the way individuals and families experience the health care system.”
“People and their families are hurting every day in the current health care system, longing for care focused on their needs,” said Mark Ganz, President and CEO of Cambia Health Solutions. “Together, we have the power to accelerate transformation, be a model for what is possible, and positively impact the lives of those we serve.”
Blue Cross NC and Cambia’s health plans, which include Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueShield in Washington, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, will continue to be subject to all state regulations and requirements in their respective states, including rate review, to ensure consumer protection.
Cambia’s Board of Directors will be made up of 10 members from Blue Cross NC’s current Board of Trustees and nine members from Cambia’s current Board of Directors. Blue Cross NC will retain its own separate Board of Trustees and name. Blue Cross NC and Cambia will retain their separate, tax-paying, not-for-profit corporate structures.
