Today Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Amerigroup (part of insurance giant Anthem) announced an agreement to jointly pursue participation in the forthcoming Medicaid managed care program. Here is a statement from the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) on this announcement:
In January the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) working in conjunction with the North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA), announced we had signed a definitive agreement with Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) to collaborate on a patient-focused approach to Medicaid under the reform plan enacted in the State of North Carolina. The NCMS hopes that all entities seeking to care for North Carolina’s Medicaid beneficiaries under the state’s reform initiative will put patients first, will be value-driven and will look to physicians as the key decision makers in how best to care for patients. We believe the State of North Carolina should focus on managed care organizations driven by those primary principles as it evaluates the future of our Medicaid program.
