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Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to keep offering ACA plans next year

Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to stay in the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year.

CEO Brad Wilson told Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke in an exclusive interview that Blue Cross just filed its rates with the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

"We're going to work hard to try to be in the market in 2018," Wilson said.

On Thursday, Blue Cross plans to announce what those rates will look like.

In late summer, the Department of Insurance will announces whether it approves or rejects the rates.

In early September, Blue Cross will makes the final decision whether to stay in the ACA marketplace.

Blue Cross is keeping an eye on Congress to see what happens with the ACA replacement bill.  A lot could change between now and September.

Blue Cross is the only insurance company covering all 100 counties in the state. Cigna covers five counties near Raleigh, so Blue Cross is the only option in the other 95 counties, including Gaston County, where Christie Looper lives.

Looper, who relies on a Blue Cross ACA plan, told Stoogenke no other company would cover her.

Stoogenke: Did you try to get insurance elsewhere?

Looper:  Yes.

Stoogenke:  And they said, “No?”

Looper: They said, “No.”

Stoogenke:  Because of a pre-existing condition?

Looper:  Right.

Stoogenke:  What's that like?

Looper: It's, it's awful.

Looper still worries about the rates going up next year.

"It's got to be affordable,” Looper said. “The Affordable Care Act is is not affordable. Not for us anyway.”