Michigan Medicine

We Stand Behind Our Members

Access matters. Affordability matters. Facts matter.

Patients should never be put in the middle of negotiations between insurers and providers over payment contracts. It causes anxiety and fear. It’s unfair – because people just want to get the care they need and have their insurance pay the bill. You should never be told to support one side or the other. On March 2, Michigan Medicine notified Blue Cross that it would not be accepting our members’ insurance as of July 1, unless a new contract is reached. This locks our members out of the Michigan Medicine system and puts you in the middle of negotiations. Michigan Medicine has launched a massive PR campaign intended to pressure the outcome of our negotiations by increasing the anxiety level among patients and families. We reject their strategy of causing people to worry. At this point, we have a responsibility to communicate our position – since so much of it has been mischaracterized by Michigan Medicine’s PR campaign.

The Facts About Our Negotiations with Michigan Medicine

You don’t deserve to be locked out.

Michigan Medicine could have kept Blue Cross members in their network after July 1 – at higher rates than we pay today – while we continue negotiations. They chose not to.

It’s true that Michigan Medicine requested a 44% increase in payment from Blue Cross.

They deny it – but we are showing you real numbers from their proposal below. We obviously cannot accept this level of increase because of the destabilizing impact it would have on your health insurance costs.

Blue Cross has proposed to increase payments to Michigan Medicine.

We have proposed a contract that would increase payments to Michigan Medicine every year – just not as much as their 44% demand. We soundly reject Michigan Medicine’s claims that we are cutting their payments.

Michigan Medicine is the most expensive health system in the state.

Below, we provide examples of how much more they charge for services than other hospitals in southeast Michigan.

Michigan Medicine is profitable.

They have spent $2.2 billion to purchase and build hospitals and health centers. You pay for all of it. See below for their profits.

Blue Cross wants Michigan Medicine in our network.

But we must contract with them at prices that are affordable for the people and employers we serve.

Michigan Medicine demands 44% more from you.

Michigan Medicine is already the highest paid system in the state.

For 87 years, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has provided our members with access to quality medical care delivered by dedicated doctors and nurses at hospitals across Michigan – including the University of Michigan Health System. Blue Cross will never waver from the deep respect we hold for Michigan’s health care professionals. But today, health care costs are rising much faster than inflation. This is putting enormous strain on the budgets of families and employers. Blue Cross has an important role to play – we are your representative as we negotiate payment terms with providers. Every dollar paid to a hospital system ultimately flows into your health insurance premiums – and we have a responsibility to make sure rising costs don’t make your health insurance unaffordable.