New Bern, N.C.-based CarolinaEast Medical Center will rejoin Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Medicare Advantage network Jan. 1.
CarolinaEast exited the network July 1, but CarolinaEast Physicians remained in network.
“We appreciate the collaboration that made this possible and look forward to restoring in-network access to care for members in the communities CarolinaEast serves,” an Oct. 27 statement from BCBS North Carolina said.
The hospital also planned to leave UnitedHealthcare’s MA network but pushed back that departure until Dec. 31. CarolinaEast previously cited “burdensome payment policies, denials and reimbursement delays for patient care” as issues that have made participation in those plans “financially and operationally unsustainable for the hospital.” CarolinaEast is one of many hospitals that have been dropping MA plans for similar reasons in 2026.
CarolinaEast is still out of network for BCBS North Carolina MA through the end of 2026, according to an Oct. 15 Facebook post from the hospital. Traditional Medicare has been unaffected.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Fall Payer Issues Roundtable, taking place November 2–3 in Chicago, payer executives and healthcare leaders will come together to discuss value-based care, regulatory changes, cost management strategies and innovations shaping the future of payer-provider collaboration. Apply for complimentary registration now.
