North Carolinians are waiting to hear what happens next after a pair of contradictory rulings on the Affordable Care Act.
A three judge panel in Washington shot down the law's subsidies for state's where people are enrolled in the federal exchange, not a state-run exchange. This includes North Carolina. A separate panel ruled just the opposite just hours later, saying the subsidies were, in fact, lawful.
"Nothing is changing for Blue Cross customers right now," said Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina spokesman Lew Borman.
"Blue Cross will be following this issue closely as time goes on. But we recognize it'll likely be many months before the issue is settled. So, in the meantime, we'll continue to support our customers. We'll keep them informed of any future developments."
About 230,000 North Carolinians signed up for the federal exchange through Blue Cross. Borman says around 90 percent of those people receive subsidies. The loss of subsidies would mean a sharp increase in premiums.