"Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Carolina's largest health insurer, is scrapping its June request for a 25.7 percent rate increase in favor of a larger rate hike: 34.6 percent.... As the state's dominant health insurer and the only ACA insurer in several dozen counties, Blue Cross is seen as a barometer of North Carolina's health insurance market for pricing and access. The company's request ... would affect about 380,000 people Blue Cross covers in North Carolina on individual policies under the [ACA]. It does not apply to the majority of the 3.9 million Blue Cross covers in the state under employer plans, state plans and other policies."  MORE >>