Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC (North Carolina) in-network claim denial rate: 19.3%
In the CMS Transparency in Coverage file for plan year 2026, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC reported denying 3,116,071 of 16,183,703 in-network claims (19.3%) in North Carolina, from 2024 claims. 36.1% of internal appeals were overturned (779 of 2,160). That is the 6th highest reported rate of 7 ranked issuers in North Carolina; the state median is 21.5%.
Prior file (plan year 2025, 2023 claims): denial rate 18.9% (3,451,238 of 18,257,563); appeal overturn rate 35.7%.
Compared with North Carolina and the national median
| Measure | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | North Carolina median | National median |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-network denial rate | 19.3% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| In-network claims received | 16,183,703 | — | — |
| Internal appeals filed | 2,160 | — | — |
| Internal appeal overturn rate | 36.1% | 36.3% | 37.7% |
| External reviews filed | 88 | — | — |
| External review overturn rate | 50.0% | 35.3% | 0.0% |
| Out-of-network denial rate | 13.1% | — | — |
Medians are across issuers with at least 1,000 in-network claims received in the same file (North Carolina: 7 issuers; national: 158 issuers in 32 states). Plan year 2026 file, 2024 claims.
- Reporting lag: the CMS public-use file for a plan year reports claims from two plan years earlier (the PY2026 file carries 2024 claims). These are not this year's figures.
- In-network only: the denial rate is in-network claims denied divided by in-network claims received. Out-of-network claims are shown separately where the issuer reported them.
- "Denied" is broad: CMS counts every denial, including administrative denials, duplicate submissions, ineligibility, incorrect billing and partial denials, not only medical-necessity decisions.
- Issuer level: CMS reports the counts once per issuer per state and repeats them on every plan row; plan-level counts, where present, list denials only, so no per-plan rate is computed.
- Coverage: only issuers on the federally facilitated marketplace (HealthCare.gov states) report to this file. Employer plans, Medicare and Medicaid are not included.
- No inference of intent: a higher rate can reflect the issuer's mix of claims, its billing rules or its membership as much as its coverage decisions. Compare with the state median and read the N.
Source: CMS Transparency in Coverage Public Use File (Health Insurance Exchange PUFs), plan year 2026; data dictionary. Issuer's own claims-payment policy page: https://www.bluecrossnc.com/members/health-plans/forms-resources/transparency-coverage.
If Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC denied your claim
A denial is a decision you can contest. Marketplace plans must give you at least 180 days to file an internal appeal and offer independent external review after it (45 CFR 147.136). The letter states your deadline.
Compare this issuer
- Aetna Health Inc. (a PA corp.) 15.5%
- Ambetter of North Carolina Inc. 21.5%
- UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, Inc 21.2%
- Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc. 16.1%
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina, Inc. 28.2%
- CareSource North Carolina Co. 28.3%
- Oscar Health Plan of North Carolina, Inc 21.6%
- Celtic Insurance Company 36.3%
Plans in this filing (117)
Where CMS lists plan-level denial counts they are shown; no plan-level rate is computed because the file does not give plan-level claims received.
| Plan ID | Type | Metal | Plan-level denials (in-network) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11512NC0060002 | PPO | Silver | 475,717 |
| 11512NC0060004 | PPO | Bronze | 126,255 |
| 11512NC0060018 | PPO | Gold | 74,636 |
| 11512NC0060028 | PPO | Silver | 130,732 |
| 11512NC0060031 | PPO | Bronze | 131,136 |
| 11512NC0060050 | PPO | Gold | 108,777 |
| 11512NC0060051 | PPO | Silver | 173,283 |
| 11512NC0060052 | PPO | Bronze | 110,531 |
| 11512NC0060059 | PPO | Bronze | n/a |
| 11512NC0100009 | POS | Gold | 3,258 |
| 11512NC0100011 | POS | Silver | 2,418 |
| 11512NC0100012 | POS | Bronze | 3,062 |
| 11512NC0100034 | POS | Gold | 31,710 |
| 11512NC0100044 | POS | Silver | 33,215 |
| 11512NC0100054 | POS | Bronze | 21,067 |
| 11512NC0100064 | POS | Silver | 152,360 |
| 11512NC0100065 | POS | Silver | 6,292 |
| 11512NC0100070 | POS | Bronze | 26,584 |
| 11512NC0100071 | POS | Bronze | 3,084 |
| 11512NC0100072 | POS | Gold | 20,752 |
| 11512NC0100073 | POS | Silver | 61,794 |
| 11512NC0100074 | POS | Bronze | 21,341 |
| 11512NC0100075 | POS | Gold | 1,730 |
| 11512NC0100076 | POS | Silver | 885 |
| 11512NC0100077 | POS | Bronze | 2,320 |
| 11512NC0100079 | POS | Bronze | n/a |
| 11512NC0100080 | POS | Bronze | n/a |
| 11512NC0390001 | EPO | Gold | 75,528 |
| 11512NC0390002 | EPO | Gold | 14,712 |
| 11512NC0390003 | EPO | Gold | 539 |
| 11512NC0390004 | EPO | Gold | 56,721 |
| 11512NC0390005 | EPO | Gold | 10,540 |
| 11512NC0390006 | EPO | Gold | 295 |
| 11512NC0390013 | EPO | Silver | 236,476 |
| 11512NC0390014 | EPO | Silver | 47,739 |
| 11512NC0390015 | EPO | Silver | 5,105 |
| 11512NC0390022 | EPO | Silver | 51,038 |
| 11512NC0390023 | EPO | Silver | 8,900 |
| 11512NC0390024 | EPO | Silver | 339 |
| 11512NC0390025 | EPO | Silver | 79,522 |
| 11512NC0390026 | EPO | Silver | 19,872 |
| 11512NC0390027 | EPO | Silver | 2,498 |
| 11512NC0390028 | EPO | Bronze | 38,786 |
| 11512NC0390029 | EPO | Bronze | 5,852 |
| 11512NC0390030 | EPO | Bronze | 868 |
| 11512NC0390031 | EPO | Bronze | 54,051 |
| 11512NC0390032 | EPO | Bronze | 7,402 |
| 11512NC0390033 | EPO | Bronze | 487 |
| 11512NC0390034 | EPO | Bronze | 51,104 |
| 11512NC0390035 | EPO | Bronze | 8,969 |
| 11512NC0390036 | EPO | Bronze | 1,192 |
| 11512NC0390046 | EPO | Bronze | n/a |
| 11512NC0390047 | EPO | Bronze | n/a |
| 11512NC0390048 | EPO | Bronze | n/a |
| 11512NC0400001 | EPO | Gold | 17,181 |
| 11512NC0400002 | EPO | Gold | 1,623 |
| 11512NC0400003 | EPO | Gold | 15,869 |
| 11512NC0400004 | EPO | Gold | 1,478 |
| 11512NC0400009 | EPO | Silver | 83,476 |
| 11512NC0400010 | EPO | Silver | 7,432 |
Showing 60 of 117 plans; all rows are in the CSV download.
Questions
What counts as a "denied" claim in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC's 19.3% rate?
Every in-network claim the issuer reported as denied in the 2024 claims year, including administrative denials, duplicates, ineligibility, incorrect billing and partial denials, not only medical-necessity decisions. The figure is in-network claims denied divided by in-network claims received, exactly as reported to CMS.
Why is the data from 2024 when the file is for plan year 2026?
CMS's Transparency in Coverage public use file for a plan year reports claims data from two plan years earlier. This is the most recent issuer-level denial data CMS publishes for marketplace plans.
Does this predict whether my Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC claim will be denied?
No. It is an aggregate across all of the issuer's marketplace plans in North Carolina. Your own claim depends on your plan, the service and the documentation. Compare the rate with the North Carolina median (21.5%) and read the N before drawing conclusions.
How do I appeal a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC denial?
Read the denial letter for the reason and the deadline, request the criteria and the claim file in writing, and file an internal appeal (at least 180 days on marketplace plans under 45 CFR 147.136). In the reporting year, 36.1% of internal appeals to this issuer were overturned (779 of 2,160). If the internal appeal fails, independent external review is available.
Cite: Apellica Insurer Denial Report Cards, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC (North Carolina), plan year 2026, from the CMS Transparency in Coverage PUF. CC BY 4.0. Download the full table as CSV or read the methodology. Corrections: editorial@apellica.com.