State Health Plan Shakeup: Premium Increase, Provider Tiers, and Blue Cross’s Return

State Treasurer Brad Briner and Plan Executive Administrator Thomas Friedman join us this week to recap the State Health Plan Board of Trustees meeting and explain major changes: a premium increase, a new three-tier provider network (preferred, access, non-preferred), and the decision to return Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as the third-party administrator and pharmacy benefit manager in 2028. They discuss why the changes are needed to control costs, how tiers work for members across urban and rural areas, protections for patients in active treatment, and next steps for implementation and member engagement.