From the beginning, it has been clear that the State Health Plan (Plan) performed a well-reasoned, high-integrity, and correct procurement process for third-party administrative services. This process clearly revealed that Aetna’s bid was superior to Blue Cross NC’s, and the Plan’s Board of Trustees properly approved the contract’s award to Aetna. As Judge Melissa Owens Lassiter said in her opinion:
As the largest customer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, I am asking that the sponsors of House Bill 346 request the bill be removed from the Senate calendar until the amendments offered by elected State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey to protect consumers be considered.
I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. David McLennan and Wendell Potter from the North Carolina Center for Health & Democracy recently during a panel discussion “How Do We Fix Healthcare in North Carolina” they hosted last week.
Following a series of meetings with Blue Cross Blue Shield NC CEO Dr. Tunde Sotunde, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says he still opposes House Bill 346.
A bill allowing hospital service corporations, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, to reorganize by creating a nonprofit holding corporation is facing fierce opposition from the state's Republican Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey, who has labeled the proposal as "all about corporate greed." The bill, which has broad bipartisan support in the legislature, has been criticized for potentially evading scrutiny and avoiding a legal trigger that could lower customer premiums.
How often do the majority and minority leaders of any legislative chamber in America agree on a significant policy change? You can probably count those occasions on your fingers without putting down your coffee cup.
