To serve our members and advance our nonprofit mission, Blue Cross advocates for public policies that ensure access to affordable, high quality health care for our members and their communities.
Blue Cross is a nonprofit organization, which means our resources are used to serve our members, not shareholders. Our low administrative costs mean 90 cents of every premium dollar goes to pay for care. Rising prices for healthcare and prescription drugs and increased usage of services continue to make healthcare more expensive for Minnesotans.
Under the Affordable Care Act, many Americans gained access to health insurance who were previously uninsured. Rising costs, especially in the individual market, require us to look at ways to improve upon the law without losing gains in coverage. Changes to the Affordable Care Act must provide immediate stability to the individual market, financial support for families with low and moderate incomes purchasing coverage on their own, and ongoing federal support for Medicaid. Furthermore, any changes should ensure there is an adequate timeline for transitioning to the new system. Ultimately, the long-term success of reform depends on addressing the underlying costs of health care, which depends on collaboration among all stakeholders across the healthcare system.
Blue Cross has a long history of working to protect Minnesotans’ health through support of clean indoor air and reduced exposure to tobacco products, and advocacy for policies that support healthy eating and increased physical activity.
Having affordable health insurance is in everyone’s best interest. However, low enrollment in the individual market and increasing medical expenses have driven premiums to increasingly higher levels. Immediate relief in the form of reinsurance, tax credits and cost sharing subsidies is needed to provide stability to this market.
We support high-quality, affordable and financially sustainable healthcare programs for Minnesotans who are unable to afford commercial coverage. The federal government should adequately fund Medicaid, so it can remain a viable safety-net for those who rely on the program.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
2022
Key points
The American Academy of Actuaries
April 2017
Key points
Kaiser Family Foundation
April 25, 2017
Key points