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 agents who will be happy to work with you to arrange a quote for your business.
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.
IN THE MEDIA
New, More Affordable Health Plan Available to Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Members
BOONE, 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. This plan, Carolina HealthWorks, is available to small businesses who are members of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and other local chambers that are members of the NC Chamber Federation.
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.
“Throughout the High Country, small businesses are a driving force in our local economy and serve as significant employers,” said David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are excited to offer this new opportunity – in partnership with the NC Chamber and Blue Cross NC – to help our small businesses and their employees access affordable health care.”
Carolina HealthWorks explained and Lessons for Success in Leadership - Mind Your Business Podcast
Among the many things business leaders must consider these days is the rising cost of health insurance, and how extending these benefits can impact the bottom line.
On this week's Mind Your Business, we examine Carolina HealthWorks, a new program offered in partnership between the North Carolina Chamber and its Federation members and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. We'll speak with representatives of the NC Chamber about how this program was designed to save on health insurance costs for businesses that have 2 to 50 employees.
Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
Introducing Carolina HealthWorks - Social Media Reel
NC Chamber, Blue Cross NC Partner to Help Small Businesses Afford Health Coverage
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.
READ FULL PRESS RELEASE FROM NC CHAMBER