Carolina HealthWorks
NC Chamber, Blue Cross NC Partner to Help Small Businesses Afford Health Coverage
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce our participation alongside the NC Chamber and Blue Cross and Blue Shield NC to provide Carolina HealthWorks as a new benefit to our members. This new program serves as a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA) designed specifically for small businesses in North Carolina with 2–50 employees.
Who Can Enroll
To be eligible for Carolina HealthWorks plans, a business must:
- Have 2–50 eligible employees*,
- Be headquartered in North Carolina, and
- Be a member of a participating local chamber or the NC Chamber
*In accordance with law, companies with two employees are eligible only if the second employee is a non-spouse employee.
If your business is currently enrolled in a BCBS NC policy:
Contact your insurance broker to initiate a quote.
If your business is not currently enrolled in a BCBS NC policy:
Please find this list of Boone Area Chamber members that are licensed Blue Cross NC agent who will be happy to work with you to arrange a quote for your business.
Please see the press release below and check out our social media channels as we share additional details about Carolina HealthWorks. The November 6, 2025 Mind Your Business podcast episode will feature in-depth conversation with representatives from the NC Chamber about this program, how it came together, and how small businesses across the state can see immediate savings.
Many of you are members of multiple chambers of commerce and several of our sister organizations across the High Country are members of the NC Chamber Federation and will also have access to this benefit. We will remind you that membership in a local chamber of commerce is about far more than one benefit and encourage you to continue to invest in the Chambers that do great work for you and your employees across multiple platforms.
Our staff continues to look for partnership that add value to membership in our organization. We encourage you to review our membership benefits regularly to ensure you take full advantage of your investment. In the meantime, please know our staff is eager to assist you with anything your business needs as we move forward.
NOVEMBER 4, 2025, RALEIGH, N.C. - With small businesses feeling the impacts of rising health care costs, the NC Chamber has partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) to provide a new, more affordable health plan option for small businesses, their employees and their families.
Carolina HealthWorks brings together North Carolina small businesses to access more affordable health care through a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) model. A MEWA offers an alternative to small businesses that allows them to pool their resources and provide access to the rate advantages and benefits typically only enjoyed by larger groups.
Carolina HealthWorks will be available starting November 1, 2025 to North Carolina small businesses that have 2 to 50 employees and are members of either the NC Chamber or a participating local chamber. Carolina HealthWorks has chosen Blue Cross NC to be the administrator for this health plan, offering access to Blue Cross NC’s broad network. Small business owners have opportunities to enroll in the plan throughout the year.
Carolina HealthWorks is sold through Blue Cross NC appointed agents, allowing businesses to continue working with their existing Blue Cross NC agent. Direct enrollment is available through Blue Cross NC for those not currently working with an agent. More information about Carolina HealthWorks is available on the Blue Cross NC website or the NC Chamber’s website.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina: Blue Cross NC, the leading not-for-profit health plan in North Carolina, is committed to making health care more affordable, easier to navigate and accessible for all. Since 1933, the health insurer has created programs and initiatives to provide North Carolinians the opportunity to be healthy. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 4.2 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit Blue Cross NC online at bluecrossnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
About NC Chamber: The NC Chamber works to research, develop, advocate, and communicate for solutions and policies that produce a nationally competitive business climate in North Carolina. For more information, visit ncchamber.com.
Disclaimer: Benefits are provided by the NC Chamber Benefit Trust, with excess coverage from a licensed insurer. The Trust isn’t backed by a guaranty association but is regulated by the NC Department of Insurance.
The NC Chamber is the sponsor and plan administrator of Carolina HealthWorks, which is a self-insured non-plan Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement. Third-party administrative services are provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. The NC Chamber and Carolina HealthWorks are separate entities and do not provide Blue Cross or Blue Shield products or services.