This year in Wake and Durham counties, BCBSNC is still no longer associated with Duke and Wake Med hospitals. They are out of network and very expensive to use. The network for BCBSNC is the UNC Physicians Health group in association with REX hospital. This is a limited network.
Bright Health will be the new company in the Triangle. They will be using the Duke/Wake Med and Wake Community partners networks. They will be a direct competitor to Ambetter but will have a larger network. They started in the Charlotte,Winston Salem, Greensboro area in 2020 and are expanding here for 2021. This should be a strong launch into the Triangle this year!
Returning in 2021 is Ambetter. They are owned by Centene, the largest provider of ACA insurance plans in the country. Their network includes the Duke and Wake Med Hospitals and doctor groups. This is a larger network than BCBSNC in the Triangle but smaller than Bright’s . Ambetter is also expanding out of the Triangle into new counties for 2021.
Cigna will still be in the market in more counties with the UNC network only. They promise aggressive rates for 2021. Oscar is entering the NC market but only in Asheville.
Health Plans Carolina are active agents for all four companies. Let us help you navigate this new and changing landscape for 2021. Not all relevant information is publicly listed on the Healthcare.gov website. Agents are free to use, the price is the same no matter how you buy. Let us make this decision a much more informed one and a much easier process to enroll. Agents Rock!