High-quality health care is essential to making North Carolina a competitive place to do business, yet our state’s health outcomes remain well below average — ranking 30th in the 2022 America’s Health Rankings Annual Report. North Carolina can and must do better if we are to become a top-ten state for health care value.
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Challenges and Solutions
As home to RTP, leading research institutions, a dominant insurance carrier, and some of the nation’s top medical systems and pharmaceutical manufacturers, North Carolina has every resource needed to drive change. But organizations need options, as health care solutions are not one-size-fits-all.
That’s why the NC Chamber is advocating to bring value-driven health care to North Carolina 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.
As an example, Association Health Plans (AHPs) would allow smaller groups to gain regulatory and economic benefits of a large group plan—enabling them to band together to manage risk and lower costs. This provides businesses with significant savings when compared to a commercial small group market plan. The NC Chamber supports new legislation that will meaningfully establish association health plans in our state, believing that they provide a valuable and essential coverage option particularly for small businesses who need this health care option to care for their people.
Mental Health
In 2022, the NC Chamber launched an employer-focused initiative to provide businesses with resources, best practices, and tools to help address mental health in the workplace. The pandemic has without question exacerbated the existing mental health crisis in our country and state, and employers are seeing the impacts of that every day on their employees.
The Agenda
- Increase Value and Reduce Costs Related to Health Care: We will advocate for health care plans that improve overall health outcomes for North Carolinians and will always work to give employers options that improve quality and employee health, while still decreasing costs. We also advocate against additional employer health coverage mandates that dictate what health plans must offer.
- View our 2023 Legislative Agenda to learn how the NC Chamber will advocate for value-driven health care, with more predictable costs, this legislative session.
- Learn how the NC Chamber championed health care issues for North Carolina’s businesses in the 2021-2022 edition of How They Voted.
- The NC Chamber hosts its annual Health Care Conference in September, which focuses on what the future of health care will look like in North Carolina.
Join the Effort
Ensure your business has a seat at the table as we work towards improved health care outcomes and value in North Carolina: Explore membership opportunities with the NC Chamber today.