Together Again: New Deal Ends Stalemate Between BCBS North Carolina And Mission Health

WUNC News | By Laura Pellicer,

Published December 8, 2017 at 12:59 PM EST

North Carolina is considering changes to state health insurance plans that would eliminate the 80/20 plans.

The biggest healthcare provider in Western North Carolina and the largest insurer in the state have reached a deal over reimbursement rates.

They had been without a contract since Oct. 5, which forced tens of thousands of Western North Carolinians to pay steep out-of-network costs for medical care at Mission hospitals and medical facilities. The new contract between Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina takes effect on Friday, Dec. 15.

Blue Ridge Public Radio News Director Matt Bush talks with host Frank Stasio, about the implications of the months-long standoff between the healthcare giants.

Laura Pellicer

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.

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Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

See stories by Frank Stasio