Expanding access to care in rural North Carolina

Access to care shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code. Yet for many North Carolinians, especially in rural areas, limited care options and provider shortages can make it harder to get the care they need.

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), we are committed to improving care for all North Carolinians. As a not-for-profit health insurer, our focus is not on profits but on reinvesting in solutions that strengthen access and improve health across every community we serve.

Built for every county in North Carolina

Our strong provider network is one of the best ways we can close the access gap in rural communities. Blue Cross NC is the only insurance company with a network presence in all 100 counties across North Carolina, ensuring coverage that reaches urban, suburban, and rural communities alike.

This statewide footprint is especially important in rural areas, where fewer providers and longer travel distances can create barriers to care.

By maintaining a strong local presence, we help members access care closer to home. This includes primary care visits, specialty appointments, and hospital service. Our network is designed to serve all communities, including those where access can be harder to support, but just as important.

Across the state, our network includes more than 108,000 commercial providers and over 1,300 facilities, creating broad access and choice for our members.

Broad access to doctors, specialists, and hospitals

A strong network is not just about geography; it’s also about who is in it. Blue Cross NC’s PPO network includes approximately 95% of North Carolina medical doctors, about 97% of non-physician practitioners, and 97% of general acute-care hospitals in some network configurations.

This level of participation helps ensure that members can find high-quality, in-network care without unnecessary delays or travel. Our networks also meet or exceed adequacy standards for primary care, high-demand specialties like OB/GYN, and high-impact services such as oncology and hospital care.

For rural communities, this means greater confidence that care—whether routine or complex—is available when and where it is needed.

A targeted approach to rural access

Expanding access in rural communities also requires focused investment and innovation. Blue Cross NC addresses these challenges through a combination of provider support, digital care, and improved navigation.

We invest in infrastructure and tools that help sustain rural practices, including electronic health records, data exchange, and tools that help providers care for patients more effectively.

We also extend access through telehealth and virtual specialty services, helping members connect to care more quickly while reducing travel burdens.

And by guiding members to appropriate, nearby providers, we make it easier to find and access care close to home.

Investing in communities, providers, and the future workforce

Access also depends on ongoing investment in people, programs, and partnerships.

Blue Cross NC supports the health care workforce by strengthening training pipelines and expanding opportunities for providers to serve in underserved areas, helping ensure long-term access to care.

We invest in community-based solutions that meet people where they are. Programs like More Than a Script connect members to pharmacists and local resources. Mobile health events and community health centers bring care directly into communities. Through our partnership with NC MedAssist, we help connect North Carolinians to needed medications.

We also support independent providers—often the backbone of rural care—through partnerships with Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) and Aledade, strengthening primary care and improving coordination.

Just as important, our work is grounded in the communities we serve. Blue Cross NC teams are present in counties across the state every day, listening to local leaders, understanding community-specific challenges, and helping connect people to the resources they need. Our County Engagement team plays a critical role in this effort, building relationships at the local level and ensuring that our strategies reflect real-world needs.

This on-the-ground presence helps us respond to real community needs, rather than simply designing abstract solutions. It also helps ensure our investments and partnerships are making a meaningful difference in access to care across North Carolina.

Reimagining rural health—together

Improving rural health care takes collaboration, innovation, and sustained commitment. As leaders across the state have emphasized, strengthening rural health is essential not just for local communities, but for North Carolina as a whole.

At Blue Cross NC, we are proud to be part of that effort. Our not-for-profit mission, combined with one of the most comprehensive provider networks in the state, allows us to focus on what matters most, ensuring every North Carolinian, no matter where they live, can get the care they need, close to home.