Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of North Carolina Reports Lower First Quarter Financial Results; State’s Largest Insurer Adds 156,000 Members Served, Tops 3 Million

First quarter net income decreased by 14 percent for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) when compared with the same period last year. BCBSNC reported net income of $52.8 million for the quarter ending March 31, 2004, compared with net income of $61.6 million for the same period in 2003.