Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Cross Complete of Michigan (Blue Cross) are pleased to announce the 2025 Strengthening the Safety Net grant applications are open and invite Michigan safety net health care clinics to apply. Over the past 20 years, Blue Cross has invested more than $17 million in Strengthening the Safety Net grants to increase access to affordable health care and improve health outcomes. Each year, these grants support nearly 50 clinics in providing free or low-cost care for uninsured and underinsured community members.

Expanding Access to Care: 2025 Strengthening the Safety Net Grants Support Uninsured and Underinsured Residents 

The old way of paying for health care is failing. We need to prioritize health outcomes over the number of medical procedures. We are working with doctors, hospitals and partners across the system to make value-based care the standard of care. This creates better health and affordability for all.

The Old Way of Paying for Health Care Needs to Change

Hospital prices, along with prescription drug prices and the costs associated with physician care, comprise the vast majority of the health insurance dollar. In this era of hospital consolidation and expansion – driven by mergers among corporate health systems – competition is reduced, driving price pressures higher.

Report: Michigan Hospital Costs, Consolidation Putting Pressure on Health Care Affordability

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    <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>
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<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">
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      <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>
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<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>

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<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>
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Affordability

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