Atrium Health has announced a new initiative to reduce healthcare costs for more than half a million employees and retirees covered by the North Carolina State Health Plan.
The move comes after Atrium was initially left out of the State Health Plan's Access and Preferred tiers network structure.
Following discussions, an agreement preserved access to many services. But Atrium’s specialty care patients and others would still face higher out-of-pocket costs.
To bridge the gap, the new Affordability Protection Program reduces outpatient surgical care copays and lowers inpatient hospital copays. It goes into effect on January 1, 2027.