About the BCBSM Foundation

Our past

In 1980, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan created the Michigan Health Care Education and Research Foundation, with $20 million in seed money from the Michigan State Medical Society, as a supporting organization to conduct and fund research directed at cost containment and quality of care. Since then, the Foundation’s assets have grown to more than $50 million through over 40 years of grant making.

The history of the Foundation speaks to the Blue Cross social mission — increasing access to affordable health care, enhancing the quality-of-care patients receive and improving the health of Michigan’s citizens and communities. Since our beginning, the Foundation has served as a catalyst to encourage the dissemination and utilization of insights gained from our funded projects. Over the years, the Foundation has provided nearly $64 million in grant funding from an initial endowment of $20 million.

Our present

Now known as the BCBSM Foundation, our grant funding helps improve our community’s capacity to conduct research and implement and evaluate community inspired programs that improve health. This increased capacity is key to discovering innovations to improving health outcomes in our state and access to quality high-value care for all Michiganders.