In 2025, the Wilson Commerce Foundation was awarded a Responsive Grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson to perform a Business Healthcare Landscape Survey.  Working with the Wilson Chamber of Commerce, and consulting with the Bureau of Business Research (BBR) at East Carolina University, the survey aimed to achieve two objectives: 

1. Determine what type(s) of healthcare coverage is offered by local businesses as a competitive benchmark for peers to compare.
2. Provide coverage data for healthcare providers to adjust the delivery of care as appropriate.  

The BBR concluded their survey in June, 2026.  The full report can be found HERE.  Some of their significant findings: 

• Nearly 65% of businesses that responded to the survey provide some form of healthcare coverage to eligible employees. 
• Of the health plans offered, half are traditional PPO plans.  20% of all other plans are high-deductible, HSA-eligible plans. 
• 36% of respondents believe the health coverage they receive from their employer is less competitive than those offered by other employers in Wilson County. 
• Nearly 70% of respondents believe that the health insurance offered by their employer is affordable for most employees. 
• The service sought most frequently outside of Wilson County (40%) is “specialty care” that isn’t provided in Wilson County (or within network).  Only 2.5% of respondents reported that primary care was needed to be sought elsewhere. 

While this data was being collected for the Business Healthcare Landscape Survey, the Chamber hosted its inaugural ReAlign Wilson Forum presented by Gig East.  The forum allowed attendees to discuss a number of healthcare related topics, with the results of those discussions recorded and compiled into an addendum to the Business Healthcare Landscape Survey, which can be found HERE.