We will be relentless advocates for the affordability of our members health care and health insurance – and responsible stewards of their dollars. This includes taking reasonable steps to lower our own cost of doing business.

We Stand Behind Our Members and Customers

The fee-for-service model rewards volume, not value. We believe there’s a better way — one that prioritizes health outcomes, patient experience and more affordable health care.

CEO: If We Want to Make Health Insurance More Affordable, We Must Change How Health Care is Paid For

Health insurance is the key to health care access and personal wellbeing. We need health insurance to be affordable for people and for their employers.

We Stand for Affordability 

<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>

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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">
      </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>

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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>
  </p>
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Affordability

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