Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina's Blue Premier program has saved nearly $650 million in healthcare costs since it was launched in 2019, the insurer said in an Aug. 22 news release.
The value-based contracting program saved around $164 million in healthcare costs in 2022, according to the release. Providers earned $117 million in shared savings through the program in 2022.
Providers in the program and BCBS North Carolina are jointly accountable for meeting quality and cost targets.The insurer has value-based agreements with 12 major hospitals and health systems and more than 800 primary care practices in North Carolina.
In 2022, unplanned hospital readmissions declined by 18 percent at participating facilities, and the number of BCBS members taking steps to monitor their blood pressure increased by 15 percent. BCBS NC also reported 10,000 more members received colorectal cancer screenings in 2022 than in 2021, as a result of the program.