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Blue Cross reversing course, will offer gay N.C. couples family policies

Blue Cross reversing course, will offer gay N.C. couples family policies

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina’s largest insurer is reversing course and now says it will offer family coverage to same-sex married couples and domestic partners in new policies.

blue-cross-ncBlue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina said Wednesday it’s making the change for policies sold starting next week and taking effect March 1.

The announcement comes after a report by The News & Observer of Raleigh was picked up nationally by the Associated Press that the Chapel Hill-based insurer cancelled family coverage sold to 20 gay and lesbian couples on the federal insurance marketplace.

The insurer said it had intended to update its plans to include those offerings, but postponed making the change in terminology as the company scrambled to get ready for what turned out to be a rocky rollout of subsidized insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Blue Cross said it had planned to change the definition next year, but CEO Brad Wilson says the insurer should have been more thoughtful about the delay.

Associated Press contributed to this report.
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