2021 Report to the Community

About the report

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is committed to providing health care to all Minnesotans and advancing racial and health equity throughout the state. This report is a snapshot of our progress and summarizes the achievements of our community impact in 2021.

Advancing racial and health equity is a key strategy to achieving and sustaining health for all. Our time listening to, volunteering for, and funding the community has provided valuable insights to the many health challenges Minnesotans face.

Learnings from the community have guided our contributions throughout 2021 to the work featured in the report below. It is through this work, initiated and led by the community, that succeeds at advancing equity and moves us forward on our journey toward health for all.

Download the full report

2021 by the numbers

$17.7 million was donated to charitable organizations — 99% remaining within Minnesota
19,290 hours were donated by associates to charitable organizations in 2021
37 initiatives were funded by the Center for Prevention, totaling $6 million, to support health equity, access to healthy foods, physical activity and commercial tobacco control
$5 million to establish the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity

61 grants, totaling $5 million, through the Foundation to support early childhood programs, safe and welcoming communities, access to coverage, and COVID-19 related relief efforts
43 housing units supported in St. Louis County, as well as support for housing stability statewide, as part of a $450,000 investment
73,000 views of antiracist videos created for the 'Make it your business' campaign
650 charitable organizations received a total of $1.25 million from associate giving programs and company sponsorships

Report highlights

Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity

To combat racism and enact lasting change, Blue Cross donated $5 million to the University of Minnesota School of Public Health to establish the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity.

Dr. Rachel Hardeman, Blue Cross endowed professor of health and racial equity

Minnesota FoodShare Campaign

Associates donated $80,725 to support Minnesota food shelves during the 2021 campaign. With a matching contribution from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, it raised a grand total of $161,450.

$161,450 donated by Blue Cross associates and contributed by the Foundation

COVID-19 mobile vaccination buses

To help ensure fair and equitable vaccine distribution throughout all Minnesota communities, Blue Cross teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Health, the Metropolitan Council and Metro Transit to transform a fleet of buses into mobile vaccination clinics. 375 Blue Cross associates spent part of their spring and summer volunteering in both clinical and non-clinical roles, vaccinating as many as 150 people per visit.

375 Blue Cross associates volunteered in both clinical and non-clinical roles

Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio

Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) increased SNAP outreach, education, and participation of immigrant Latino families in the Twin Cities and Austin, Minnesota. CLUES had 23 community garden plots and worked with 27 Latino families to produce over 1,000 pounds of food. CLUES supported families to grow their own food in the garden and held eight workshops focused on the food system and Latino contributions to it.

27 Latino families produced over 1,000 pounds of food in 23 community garden plots

ThreeSixty Journalism

ThreeSixty Journalism and the Center for Prevention hosted their fourth annual TV broadcast camp. This year's theme was Racism as a Public Health Crisis. Students reported on a variety of topics related to the generational impacts of racism on community health and community-led solutions to health inequities.

For the 2021 camp, students focused their reporting on "Racism as a Public Health Crisis"

Center for Advancing Serious Illness Communication

Blue Cross invested $750,000 to fund three years of this new program, which aims to drive systemic change by enabling patients to make more well-informed decisions as their illness progresses.

Blue Cross invested $750,000 to fund three years of this program to improve patient communication

The journey onward

Our health is more than just preventing and treating our illnesses—it's addressing the root causes that are truly undermining the health of Minnesotans and many of our communities.

As we look back at 2021, we have to view our work and achievements as part of a process and a journey—not an endpoint. An even more equitable future is possible in 2022. As an organization we're deeply committed to listening, learning and actively working to center equity, respect and justice in our efforts to create a healthier future for all Minnesotans.

Bukata Hayes
Vice President Racial and Health Equity