Let’s work together to address health care affordability

Health care costs in Michigan and across the U.S. are rising to unaffordable levels, straining the budgets of the patients and customers we all serve. Affordability is a major concern that touches all of us.

The health care affordability crisis isn’t one that any individual company or health care provider can resolve on its own. Solving the problem requires partnerships to deliver systemwide solutions. Insurers, physicians, hospital leaders, government regulators, pharmaceutical companies and others can all play a role in improving the U.S. health care system. We need to work together for the benefit of our shared patients and customers.

At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, we stand for partnering with those who share our commitment to affordability, ensuring that we all can have access to affordable health care.

In Michigan, we have a long history of successful partnership that has improved the quality of health care for us all and has inspired similar efforts in other states and countries. We’ve been proud to develop programs, fund care improvement efforts and lead discussions with physicians and hospital leaders across the state. The Blue Cross Value Partnerships programs just celebrated 20 years of collaborative work that improved the quality of health care in Michigan and avoided $6.3 billion in costs. More than 20,000 physicians and 100 hospitals are working with us in patient-centered medical home programs, Collaborative Quality Initiatives focused on specific hospital procedures, and Blueprint for Affordability contracts that share financial responsibility for patient outcomes.

Now, Blue Cross is starting a public conversation about health care affordability and encouraging more change to improve the system for everyone. We’ll talk about the issues on our new online affordability hub at MIBlueDaily.com/affordability and through our social media channels, newsletters and in media interviews. 

Our core principles in this effort include:

• We stand for affordability. We need health care to be affordable for people and for their employers.
• We stand behind our members and customers. We’ll be relentless advocates for the affordability of their health care and health insurance — and responsible stewards of their health care dollars.
• We stand for partnering. Stakeholders in the health care system must work together to develop solutions to provide people with health care and coverage that’s affordable.
• We stand for a well-regulated system. Prescription drug company pricing isn’t regulated, and it’s driving up costs. Government regulators must hold drugmakers accountable for the prices they set.
• We stand for innovation. We’ll continue to work with doctors and hospitals to improve the quality and lower the cost of the health care they provide, improve health outcomes and explore new ways to provide quality care at lower costs.

We encourage you to visit our affordability hub often for updated information about this important issue that we’re committed to addressing. Let’s work together to solve the health care affordability problem.