Why Affordability Must Be at the Center of Health Care

Tricia Keith

| 2 min read

As the President and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, I have the privilege of leading a nonprofit mutual health insurance organization that serves over five million members nationwide. I take to heart the responsibility of leading BCBSM into its next chapter. The foundation of who I am goes back to my family’s 130-year-old dairy farm in Northern Michigan. There, I learned the value of hard work, showing up with purpose, and caring for others. Those lessons continue to guide me today. I have held several senior leadership roles in my nearly 20 years working at this company, most recently as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and President of the Emerging Markets Division. It has given me a grounding in what our organization is today and what it needs to be in the future. Health care is at a turning point, with immense opportunities and significant challenges. My vision for BCBSM is centered on the people we serve. We serve them best by continuing to transform, innovate and deliver value. We represent them by staying grounded in our commitment to accessible, affordable care every day.

Health care is a personal — and financial — issue for many Michiganians. We must make it more affordable than it is today.
For families, affordability determines whether they can schedule needed care. For business owners, it affects the kind of health insurance they can provide. For individuals, it can influence decisions as personal as starting a family or choosing when to retire.
At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, we believe health care should be there when people need it—and at a price they can afford.
There are factors within our health care system that impact the price of medical care, drugs and the cost of health insurance. Some of these factors influencing affordability are moving in the wrong direction – jeopardizing access to care and making health insurance unaffordable.
I am determined for Blue Cross to do our part to change that.
People depend on companies like ours to step up and partner, innovate, and deliver solutions. It’s clear to me there’s a lot more to do in these areas — and real, lasting change demands every part of the health care system gets on board.
At Blue Cross, we stand behind our members and customers—putting their needs at the center of everything we do. Every decision we make is guided by the impact it will have on the people and businesses who count on us.
We stand for innovation, using data, technology and new ideas to make care more effective, easier to navigate, and more affordable over time.
We stand for partnering across the health care system—collaborating with physicians, hospitals, and community organizations to improve quality, reduce costs, and drive better outcomes.
We stand for a well-regulated system that balances stability with flexibility—one that holds every stakeholder accountable for doing their part to improve affordability and access.
And above all, we stand for affordability—because health care should never be out of reach for the people who need it.
To show how we’re turning these commitments into action, we’ve launched mibluedaily.com/affordability. This platform will be updated regularly with the latest on what we’re doing, how it’s working, and what’s next. It reflects our belief that affordability requires transparency, accountability—and results.
We stand for affordability. And we’ll keep working to deliver it—because our members deserve a health care system that works better for them at a price that’s affordable.
MI Blue Daily is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association