Healthcare News & Stories

This article explores the extensive provider access available through Blue Cross NC in Charlotte, North Carolina. It highlights the robust network of doctors, specialists, and hospitals available to members enrolled in ACA, Medicare HMO, and PPO plans. The article also explains how to find in-network providers, the benefits of telehealth, and tools like Blue Connect that help members manage their care. Whether you're new to the area or comparing plan options, Blue Cross NC offers comprehensive healthcare coverage for individuals and families across Charlotte.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are valuable tools for managing healthcare costs, offering tax advantages and flexibility. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set the 2025 HSA contribution limits, critical for North Carolinians planning their benefits to maximize savings while staying compliant.
 2025 HSA Contribution Limits
For 2025, the IRS has established the following annual HSA contribution limits:

At Health Plans of North Carolina, we believe that health is influenced by more than doctor visits. Access to basic needs—like food, housing, transportation, and safety—plays a vital role in well-being. We want to highlight a powerful free tool available to everyone in our community: the Resource Navigator from Blue Cross NC.
The Resource Navigator is an easy-to-use online platform that connects individuals and families to free or reduced-cost services across North Carolina. Whether you're facing financial hardship or housing instability or need help finding local support for child care, utilities, or behavioral health, the Resource Navigator makes it simple to find trusted, nearby assistance.
You don’t need to be a Blue Cross NC member to use it—anyone in North Carolina can access this tool. Just enter your ZIP code and select the type of help you seek. The platform will display a tailored list of services in your area, along with descriptions, contact details, and eligibility information.

Blue365 is a free health and wellness discount program available to Blue Cross NC members with active health plan coverage (e.g., commercial plans, Medicare Advantage, or Federal Employee Program plans). It’s not insurance but an added perk designed to help members save money on products and services that promote a healthy lifestyle, many of which aren’t typically covered by standard health plans.
- Categories of Deals:
- Exclusive Discounts: Members can access savings from national and local retailers on health-related items and services.

General Coverage for Hearing Testing:
Hearing testing coverage with Blue Cross NC  depends on the specific plan you’re enrolled in.
  -  Routine Hearing Exams: 

Residents in certain counties impacted by Hurricane Helene now have an extended opportunity to apply for or adjust their Blue Cross NC individual health insurance plans. The Special Enrollment Period (SEP) has been extended for these counties, offering a chance to secure health coverage or switch to a plan that better suits your needs.
Who Is Eligible?
Residents in the affected counties can use this SEP to enroll in a new plan and apply for coverage with Blue Cross NC or another carrier. They can also switch plans, updating their coverage to align with their current healthcare needs.

Blue Cross NC members can now enjoy the convenience of home delivery for prescriptions through Amazon Pharmacy, simplifying medication management while maintaining trusted benefits.

Blue Cross NC members can join FitOn Health for access to over 13,000 gyms and studios.

Blue Cross NC offers Teladoc telehealth services to individuals under 65 years old who are ACA members, providing 24/7 access to virtual care for acute conditions, mental health, dermatology, nutrition, and primary care through Primary360. Many plans include $0 telehealth visits.

For Medicare, the Annual Enrollment Period for 2025 runs from October 15 to Dec 7, 2024. For individual and family plans, Open Enrollment starts November 1, 2024 and ends January 15, 2025. For more details about enrollment periods for 2025, feel free to reach out to one of our agents.

Perhaps more than any other industry, health care represents the collision of humanity and technology—nothing is more personal than our health care. But for many, determining the best option for care is an overwhelming process. Knowing when to seek care can be just as difficult as combing through the volume of medical information offered online. This can lead to people spending more time, more money and using more services across the health care system than necessary.
At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), we are working to provide a more simplified health care experience for our members. By combining technology and human interaction, we’re helping members find the right resources for their care journeys.
High-Tech: Putting the Right Tools in the Hands of Members

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have brought renewed urgency to the issue, the need for more cost transparency has long been part of the conversation about the future of health care. Beneath the partisan wrangling in Washington lies a serious issue. Not only is health care expensive, but it can be difficult for consumers to know just how much care costs until the final bill arrives. Managing medical costs starts with knowing what they are in the first place. At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, we support the concept of cost transparency. We’re leading the way in making it a reality, not only for our members, but for all North Carolinians.
Cost transparency at your fingertips
It’s hard to believe, but the cost for many common procedures can vary by thousands – in some cases tens of thousands of dollars – within the same city. When consumers don’t have easy access to this information, they are not only in the dark about the total cost of their care, but more importantly how much it will cost them out-of-pocket. A Blue Cross NC analysis showed that some North Carolinians will spend up to 25% of their take-home pay solely on medical expenses. That can be a massive financial burden for families to bear.An early innovator in cost transparency, Blue Cross NC launched a groundbreaking cost comparison tool in 2012 that enables members to compare cost and quality for common procedures before they make important care decisions. Just as consumers can shop for cars or smart phones by doing research before making a purchase, we’re empowering patients to be better informed health care consumers. When patients see that costs for the same surgery in the same area can vary by as much as $19,000, they realize they can choose more affordable options.[1] In 2015, we went a step further and made the tool available to all North Carolinians. Everyone in North Carolina, whether they are a Blue Cross NC member or not, can quickly search for common procedures like MRIs, knee replacements or mammograms and see how the cost compares between nearby providers.

Getting married, moving to a new home, and adopting children are exciting events in your life. When these changes happen the last thing, you may think about is letting your health insurer know.  It’s important to let us know of these exciting events or other unexpected changes so we can make sure you have the right coverage and we’re able to send important communications to you.
Examples of changes you should report
A Change in Name:

“It’s a hundred degrees in the shade.”
It’s an old adage offered not literally, necessarily, but simply to convey that its one hot day. Lately, it’s been less adage than reality.
When the temperature stays this hot for this long, it’s hard to think about getting out for a hike. Unless you know where to go.