State Health Plan Responds to Judge's Ruling on TRO

What this means

A North Carolina Superior Court judge denied the State Health Plan’s request for a temporary restraining order against Atrium Health’s Affordability Program. The Plan said it would continue exploring legal options and asserted that the program could force it to raise member premiums by as much as $50 per month in 2028. That premium estimate is the Plan’s forecast following an interim ruling, not a finalized premium decision or the final outcome of the underlying dispute.

Official release

Source material from North Carolina Department of State Treasurer. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

A Superior Court judge denied the State Health Plan’s (Plan) request for a temporary restraining order against Atrium Health’s “Affordability Program” (Program) on Tuesday. While this is not the outcome we were hoping for, in the ruling from the bench, the judge did acknowledge our argument that the Program could cause irreparable harm to the Plan. While other legal pathways continue to be explored, the Plan is now forced to consider all options to keep the Plan solvent for 2027 and beyond, which includes having to raise all member premiums, whether they are Atrium patients or not, by as much as $50 per month in 2028, which could more than double their 2027 premiums.

“Every action we take is guided by the commitment to protect our members’ ability to access high-quality, affordable health care,” said Treasurer Brad Briner, who chairs the State Health Plan Board of Trustees. “The State Health Plan is funded by member and taxpayer dollars and those resources are finite. When a single provider can manipulate the Plan’s cost structure, dictate how benefits are designed or undermine our tiered network, it won’t just be disruptive, it could be catastrophic for the Plan, its members and taxpayers.”

Release text attributed to North Carolina Department of State Treasurer. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.