North Dakota Regulators Approve Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota’s Affiliation With Cambia Health Solutions

PORTLAND, Ore. & FARGO, N.D.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The North Dakota Insurance Department has approved the strategic affiliation between Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) and Cambia Health Solutions.

The affiliation will enable greater capabilities for access to care that is simpler and more affordable while maintaining the strong local commitment that has served North Dakotans for more than 85 years. 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.

“We’re grateful to North Dakota regulators for their diligence in the process to affirm that the affiliation is in the best interests of members,” said Dan Conrad, BCBSND president and CEO. “We are excited about moving forward and the opportunities integration brings to improve how we support the members who count on us every day to simplify health care.”

Members of all the affiliated health plans retain their current coverage and will continue to use their insurance card just as they do today. BCBSND will maintain its local plan name, board of directors, and philanthropic foundation and continue to offer Medicare Advantage through NextBlue of North Dakota. 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 regional health plans.

“Reaching this milestone puts us one step closer to better serving members, customers and communities through shared innovation, expertise and resources,” said Cambia President and CEO Jared Short. “We look forward to welcoming our North Dakota colleagues and working together to ensure a smooth integration as we create a system that makes health care easier and lives better for the people we serve.”

The affiliation will take effect Feb. 1, 2026, making Cambia a five-state enterprise with North Dakota joining Cambia’s Regence health plans in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Conrad will become part of the Cambia leadership team in the role of chief administrative officer.

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.