Strategic affiliation provides greater value and more solutions for members

Cambia Health Solutions (Cambia) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) today announced a strategic affiliation to better serve members with access to care that's simpler and more affordable — and remains close to home. The affiliation will unify all operations and enable the organizations to share best practices for local plan innovation and services, deliver personalized member experiences and leverage Cambia's robust technology infrastructure.

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Established in 1995 by four Blue Cross Blue Shield licensees, Cambia is a nonprofit health solutions company that provides management and shared services for local Blue plans across the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West, all connected by a common focus on delivering more for members.

“Affiliating with Cambia allows us to leap ahead in the capabilities we can bring to the North Dakotans we serve,” said Dan Conrad, president and CEO of BCBSND. “We both have a deep commitment to a strong local presence today and into the future. Backed by Cambia’s national scale and resources, we can offer members and customers more affordable plan solutions and personalized health tools, all while continuing to be supported by local employees who understand their health care needs.”

Cambia and BCBSND share a legacy of practical innovation and community commitment. Cambia’s mission is to transform health care to work better for real people and be economically sustainable. It is a founding partner and investor in Echo Health Ventures, which seeks to invest in and grow great health care companies. The health solutions company brings experience offering high-quality, cost-effective health care through personalized member tools that make it easier for people to navigate their care. BCBSND contributes deep expertise and market leadership in rural health, Medicare and Medicaid solutions, and provider collaboration.

“Cambia works every day to make health care easier and lives better for our members. For decades we’ve proven that we can do more when we have partners who share in this work,” said Jared Short, president and CEO of Cambia. “BCBSND’s culture and vision fit perfectly as we work together to innovate and transform health care for the communities we serve.”

Members retain their current coverage and will continue to use their BCBSND insurance card just as they do today. BCBSND will continue to offer Medicare Advantage through NextBlue of North Dakota. BCBSND will maintain its local plan name, board of directors, and philanthropic foundation. It will also continue its mutual status, meaning it will remain governed by voting policyholders rather than investors. All BCBSND’s reserve funds and foundation resources remain in North Dakota. Cambia will also maintain its foundation, and local health plans will operate in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, as they do now.

The areas of focus for the affiliation include:

• Improving the care experience with more personalized and connected solutions for members and providers. The affiliation enables investment in care solutions such as advanced primary care, mobile platforms for on-demand and virtual primary care, expanded tools for maternal and family health, and programs tailored to local communities.
• Expanding capabilities and tools to meet the unique local health needs of members and communities. Shared technology and data will create new opportunities for plans to collaborate with providers, employers and communities to support care that is more accessible, understandable and actionable for members and providers.
• Investing in transformative, financially sound solutions to improve members' health outcomes. Combined resources across operations and technology will increase agility, expand plan capabilities, provide cost savings, and simplify the experience for members and customers.

The strategic affiliation is subject to regulatory approval in North Dakota and is expected to close in 2026.

For more information, visit the fact sheet.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

BCBSND was founded in 1940 with the mission to provide members with affordable access to health care across the state. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), BCBSND is committed to transforming care and health across the state to improve outcomes, lower cost trends and make it easier to shop, buy and use health care coverage. Members have access to unmatched local service and to a comprehensive network of health care providers across the state, the nation and more than 190 countries.

About Cambia Health Solutions

Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is dedicated to transforming health care. We put people at the heart of everything we do as we work to make the health care system more economically sustainable and efficient for people and their families. Our company reaches millions of Americans nationwide, including more than 3.6 million people served by our regional health plans. To learn more about us, visit CambiaHealth.com.

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Strategic affiliation to better serve members with access to care that's simpler and more affordable — and remains close to home.