We commend members of the N.C. House and Senate and Gov. Cooper for their bipartisan support to pass SB228/HB373 into law. These companion bills will now give small and local businesses in North Carolina the ability to offer exclusive provider benefit plans, or EPOs, as a health insurance option for their employees.

The NC Chamber’s support stems from providing employer choice. We believe that the more choices small businesses have in providing affordable, high-quality health insurance options to their employees, the better these employers can manage their health care costs, and the healthier North Carolina will be as a state. As North Carolina recovers and relaunches from the pandemic, access to high-quality, lower cost health care is more vital than ever. Allowing employers to offer EPOs also advances North Carolina’s ability to successfully compete with other states for attracting job creators.

The NC Chamber will continue advocating for legislation such as SB228 that brings value-driven health care to North Carolina in order to improve health outcomes and make costs more predictable and affordable for businesses — with the goal of keeping employees as healthy as possible, reducing instances of chronic disease, and lowering the most expensive health costs, such as hospital visits.