Champions of affordable health care

Medical costs are rising 40% faster than everyday prices like gas and groceries. This hurts all Americans, especially new parents.

The average cost of having a baby is nearly $20,000, which means growing your family can come with growing financial burdens.

Focus on family, not cost. Juliann and Josh were thrilled to be starting their family but heard that welcoming a new baby means lots of bills, even with insurance coverage. Thanks to their health insurance plan from a Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) company, they were relieved that wasn’t the case.

“It was so significantly less than we were expecting,” Juliann said.

Without medical bills on their minds, they were able to focus on what was truly important before, during and after welcoming their son. "Finally getting to be a mom is a gift you can’t describe. It’s the best thing in the world.”

Everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care and that is why BCBS companies are focused on addressing what drives up premiums and out-of-pocket costs — rising hospital and drug prices.

Laser focused on affordability. For you.

In 2025, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) launched a roadmap to reduce costs by nearly $1 trillion over 10 years. We’re working to advance commonsense solutions to make care more affordable:

High-quality care delivered.

BCBS, along with their with providers, offered Juliann and Josh access to affordable, quality care when they needed it. And BCBS will continue to support them throughout their health care journey so they can focus on what’s important: caring for their new baby.

Learn more about what BCBSA is doing, together with providers and policymakers, to advance affordable health care for all Americans.