NC Judge Rejects Bid to Block Atrium Program

A North Carolina judge denied the State Health Plan’s request to temporarily block Atrium Health’s 2027 affordability program, which would replace members’ deductibles and coinsurance with lower copays at Atrium facilities. Atrium says the program will reduce members’ out-of-pocket costs without changing what the plan pays, while Treasurer Brad Briner argues it could shift costs to the financially strained plan and undermine its tiered network. The preliminary ruling does not resolve the lawsuit; the judge said the state had not yet shown a sufficient likelihood of success or irreparable harm. Briner has since said most Atrium hospitals and doctors’ offices will be taken out of network in 2027, while saying members may still avoid higher bills if Atrium continues to cover the difference. The dispute affects a plan serving more than 750,000 state employees, retirees and family members.