Rising health care costs are stopping new business owners from hiring employees and investing in resources that would help them grow. Here's how value-based care can factor into the solution.

Survey: Michigan Small Businesses Can’t Afford to Hire New Employees, Invest in Resources Due to Rising Health Care Costs

Health insurance is regulated. Hospitals are regulated. Prescription drug companies are not – and they are driving up costs. Government regulators must hold prescription drug companies accountable for the prices they set.

We Stand for a Well-Regulated System 

The Crain’s report highlights the immense pressure of prescription drug prices on affordability, the need for regulation and the innovation of Blue Cross, on behalf of our members and customers to find better solutions.

Report: Drug Prices Are Putting Major Pressure on the Affordability of Health Insurance in Michigan

Learn about what’s driving health care costs, how it’s impacting families and employers and why shared responsibility is key to meaningful progress. 

A Shared Responsibility for Affordability

Leaders from across Michigan came together at the Mackinac Policy Conference to explore how upstream investments — in behavioral health, nutrition and chronic disease prevention — can lower costs and create healthier communities.

Community First-Partnering for Upstream Affordability

The conversation in this podcast offers an insightful look at what happens when uninsured individuals turn to emergency rooms for care — and how that cost ends up affecting everyone. 

Uncompensated Care and the Safety Net

<div class="stats-section">
    <h1 class="main-heading">
        “Health Care is Personal. Let's Make it Work for Everyone.” <br>
        <span class="author">
            
            
            - Tricia Keith, President & CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
        </span>
    </h1>
    <p class="subtext">
        People can’t have access to quality medical care without affordable health insurance. Today, increasing health insurance costs are becoming more of a strain on the budgets of the businesses and people we serve. We want to help you understand why this is happening and what can be done.
This site will be updated with insight about this important issue that we, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, are committed to addressing — affordability.
    </p>
</div>

<style>
    /* Import Google Font */
    @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@300;400;600&display=swap');

    /* Section Styling */
    .stats-section {
        max-width: 1200px;
        margin: 40px auto;
        text-align: center;
        font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
    }

    .subtext {
        font-size: 18px;
        max-width: 950px;
        margin: 0 auto 30px;
        line-height: 1.6;
        text-align: center;
    }

    .author {
        font-size: 0.5em; 
        font-weight: 600;
        color: #444;
        display: flex;
        align-items: center;
        justify-content: center;
        gap: 8px;
        margin: 15px;
    }

    .author-image {
        width: 60px; /* Adjust to match text height */
        height: 60px;
        border-radius: 50%;
        object-fit: cover;
    }

    /* Enhanced H1 Styling */
    .main-heading {
        font-size: 32px;
        font-weight: 700;
        color: #222;
        margin-bottom: 10px;
        text-align: center;
        position: relative;
        padding-bottom: 15px;
    }

    /* Underline Effect (Blue Line) */
    .main-heading::after {
        content: "";
        display: block;
        width: 80px;
        height: 4px;
        background: #007bff;
        margin: 10px auto 0;
        border-radius: 2px;
    }
</style>

<div class="stats-section2">
  <h2>The Cost Equation</h2>
  <div class="stats-container">
    
    <div class="stat-card">
      <h3 class="card-title">Surging Medical Costs</h3>
      <div class="icon-container">
        <img src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/eztzxh9q/development/40b09759c286057c3e200bf131c4e742204164ad-438x360.png" alt="Medical Cost Increase">
      </div>
      <div class="content-container">
        <p>From 2000 to 2024, prices for medical care increased 40% faster than everyday prices, like groceries and gas.<sup>¹</sup></p>
      </div>
    </div>

    
    <div class="symbol">+</div>

    
    <div class="stat-card">
      <h3 class="card-title">Skyrocketing Drug Prices</h3>
      <div class="icon-container">
        <img src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/eztzxh9q/development/1cc0e54e96f6bf4c870cec2a64904560a72cece8-438x360.png" alt="Skipped Pills Statistic">
      </div>
      <div class="content-container">
        <p>In 2023, pharmaceutical companies priced new U.S. drugs 35% higher than 2022.<sup>²</sup></p>
      </div>
    </div>

    
    <div class="symbol">+</div>

    
    <div class="stat-card">
      <h3 class="card-title">Paying for Care</h3>
      <div class="icon-container">
        <img src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/eztzxh9q/development/fc86b01c913a0035846e507ffde7e26f8a589f00-438x360.jpg" alt="Care Cost Graph">
      </div>
      <div class="content-container">
        <p>Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan paid an average of $100 million per day for the care and benefits of members in 2024. That is $12 million more per day than 2023.</p>
      </div>
    </div>

    
    <div class="symbol">=</div>

    
    <div class="stat-card">
      <h3 class="card-title">Premium Pressures</h3>
      <div class="icon-container">
        <img src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/eztzxh9q/development/9a55cdc30f2f41252817ae9060370c9ef3d11085-438x360.png" alt="Expensive System Image">
      </div>
      <div class="content-container">
        <p>In 2024, for every $1 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan collected in premiums, we paid $1.04 for our members' care.</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>

  <p class="subtext">
    Your health insurance costs are the end of the cost equation. They reside downstream. Upstream are the costs within the health care system itself. The costs of medical care charged by hospitals and doctors. The price of prescription drugs. The cost of administration and continually evolving technology. These upstream costs flow downstream into your health insurance premium. This is why we are calling for system-wide solutions. We all serve you — and we owe it to you to work together to solve problems that are driving your health insurance premiums higher.
  </p>
</div>

<style>
  @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@300;400;600&display=swap');

  .stats-section2 {
    max-width: 100%;
    margin: 40px auto;
    text-align: center;
    font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
    padding: 0 16px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
  }

  .subtext {
    font-size: 18px;
    max-width: 950px;
    margin: 30px auto;
    line-height: 1.6;
    text-align: center;
  }

  .stats-section2 h2 {
    font-size: 32px;
    font-weight: 600;
    color: #222;
    margin-bottom: 30px;
  }

  .stats-container {
    display: flex;
    flex-wrap: nowrap;
    justify-content: space-between;
    align-items: stretch;
    gap: 8px;
    width: 100%;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    overflow-x: hidden;
  }

  .stat-card {
    background: #ffffff;
    padding: 20px;
    border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
    box-shadow: 0px 4px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
    text-align: center;
    flex: 1 1 21%;
    min-width: 200px;
    display: flex;
    flex-direction: column;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: space-between;
    min-height: 320px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
  }

  .symbol {
    font-size: 32px;
    font-weight: bold;
    color: #444;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    flex: 0 0 2.5%;
    min-width: 20px;
  }

  .card-title {
    font-size: 18px;
    font-weight: 600;
    color: #222;
    margin-bottom: 10px;
  }

  .icon-container img {
    width: 160px;
    height: auto;
    margin-bottom: 12px;
  }

  .content-container {
    flex-grow: 1;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    padding: 0 10px;
  }

  .content-container p {
    font-size: 16px;
    color: #444;
    line-height: 1.6;
    text-align: center;
  }

  @media (max-width: 900px) {
    .stats-container {
      flex-direction: column;
      align-items: center;
    }

    .stat-card {
      width: 90%;
    }

    .symbol {
      font-size: 24px;
      margin: 10px 0;
    }

    .subtext {
      padding: 0 20px;
    }
  }
</style>

<div class="affordability-closing">
    <h2 class="closing-heading">We act in service to our members and customers — always.</h2>
    <p class="closing-text">
        The cost of accessing health care services matters. It concerns us every day. Because health care is personal to every single member we serve, it must be affordable. This is why we are calling for system-wide solutions. We all serve you — and we owe it to you to work together to solve problems that are driving your health insurance premiums higher.
    </p>
</div>

<style>
    /* Import Google Font */
    @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@300;400;600&display=swap');

    /* Main Section Styling */
    .affordability-closing {
        max-width: 1100px;
        margin: 40px auto;
        text-align: center;
        font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
    }
    /* Closing Statement */
    .closing-heading {
        font-size: 24px;
        font-weight: 700;
        color: #222;
        margin-top: 40px;
    }

    .closing-text {
        font-size: 16px;
        color: #444;
        max-width: 950px;
        margin: 0 auto;
        line-height: 1.6;
    }

    /* Responsive Design */
    @media (max-width: 900px) {
        .affordability-container {
            flex-direction: column;
            align-items: center;
        }

        .affordability-card {
            width: 90%;
        }
    }
</style>

<div class="source-references">
  <p class="bcbsm-link">
    <a href="https://www.bcbsm.com/individuals/help/buying-insurance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bcbsm.com</a>
  </p>
  <p class="source-label">Sources</p>
  <p class="source-links">
    <sup>¹</sup> <a href="https://www.bcbs.com/news-and-insights/white-paper/affordability-solutions-white-paper" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blue Cross and Blue Shield</a>,
    <sup>²</sup> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/prices-new-us-drugs-rose-35-2023-more-than-previous-year-2024-02-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>
  </p>
</div>

<style>
  .source-references {
    font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
    font-size: 14px;
    color: #666;
    max-width: 900px;
    margin: 40px auto;
    text-align: center;
    padding: 0 20px;
  }

  .bcbsm-link {
    margin-bottom: 8px;
  }

  .source-label {
    font-weight: 600;
    margin-bottom: 5px;
  }

  .source-links {
    margin: 0;
  }

  .source-references a {
    color: #0073e6;
    text-decoration: none;
  }

  .source-references a:hover {
    text-decoration: underline;
  }
</style>


Affordability

Blue Daily

MI Blue Daily is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Latest

Affordability Matters: A Special Edition Podcast Series