BCBSNC allows members to keep their insurance plans after Obama meeting

Today, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina filed the paperwork to extend non-grandfathered plans through 2014. President and CEO Brad Wilson met with President Obama last Friday at the White House.

"By taking this action, we are giving approximately 230,000 customers an additional option to consider as they weigh their health insurance choices for 2014," Wilson said in a statement. "These are high-quality health plans that have provided great value and peace of mind for our customers. We believe many of them will welcome the opportunity to renew these plans for another year."

State regulators in the department of insurance must review BCBSNC's proposal. The plan reports premium increases for such policies for 2014 ranging from 16.4% to 23.6%, and notices are scheduled to go out to members on December 1. Members will be automatically re-enrolled or they can choose an ACA-compliant plan, according to BCBSNC.

North Carolina does not have its own exchange marketplace and relies on healthcare.gov for enrollment. In October, only 1,662 consumers had chosen a health plan, according to data released by the Department of Health and Human Services.