Optimal Health Outcomes

As a health insurer, our clinical teams help members close gaps in preventive care and manage chronic conditions that have a big impact on health and well-being.

These efforts specifically target immunizations, diabetes care, cardiovascular care, early detection cancer screenings, behavioral health, and maternal and infant health.

Through the Blue Impact major grant program, we invested in organizations innovating to close these gaps in their communities. More than $4.6 million in Blue Impact grants awarded in 2025 included $200,000 to organizations providing trauma-focused behavioral health care to reduce violence in our communities. Other Blue Impact partners are addressing gaps in cancer screenings and helping people manage and prevent chronic health conditions.

Our Care Van^® mobile health program works with public health departments and others to bring no-cost immunizations and other preventive services to communities across Illinois. In 2025, the program participated in more than 390 events, reaching more than 9,000 Illinoisans.

Locally Defined Health Solutions

Local residents and community organizations have the experience, trust, and knowledge to best meet the specific health and human service needs of the people who are their neighbors. That’s why locally defined health solutions are a focus of our Blue Impact investments.

Our 2025 grants in this area include an extension of our longstanding support for A Safe Haven and its work providing interim housing and wraparound services for Chicagoans experiencing the challenges associated with housing insecurity.

Another long-term community partner, Enlace Chicago, is providing resources that include bilingual and culturally relevant assistance enrolling in health insurance and health-related programs. And downstate, a grant is helping SIHF Healthcare address social determinants of health — transportation, access to healthy foods and connection to primary care — at a new facility in East St. Louis.

Our Blue Door Neighborhood Center^SM program is another way we’re connecting people with resources where they live. The BDNC program offers classes, workshops, health screenings and other activities online and at locations in Chicago’s Pullman, Morgan Park and South Lawndale neighborhoods. Offerings are driven by data indicating the needs of the local communities.

Economic Opportunity and Stability

Our community investments address challenges created by poverty, barriers to employment job creation and skills development so our members and neighbors are better able to achieve their best health.

BCBSIL employs more than 14,000 people in Illinois and creates job opportunities in Illinois communities that drive local economic growth.

Through the Blue Impact major grant program, we awarded grants in 2025 totaling more than $300,000 specifically aimed at improving job skills and employment readiness. They include renewed investments in the Jane Addams Resource Corporation’s manufacturing skills program and the Pullman Tech Workshop, which teaches fundamentals of woodworking and job preparedness with wraparound services.

Other Blue Impact grants support economic opportunity and stability with resources such as transitional housing and legal services. 

Since 2022, BCBSIL has invested $2.5 million in Hope Chicago, established to improve economic outcomes by increasing access to higher education to 4,000 students and 1,000 parents over five years. The organization empowers students and their families to pursue educational aspirations without student loans.

Neighborhood and Built Environment

The physical structure of our communities has profound effects on our health and well-being. We’re all better able to thrive with access to safe and affordable housing, transportation, and space for exercise and recreation.

We continued investing in housing and neighborhood infrastructure in 2025 through the Blue Impact program. One of several renewed grants provided $100,000 for the Center for Housing + Health’s Flexible Housing Pool, which works with health care providers to secure permanent housing for people who frequently use Cook County emergency rooms and other crisis services.

Another $100,000 grant is helping the Local Initiatives Support Corporation carry out community-led quality of life plans built by local residents, community-based organizations, faith leaders and businesses. 

We also continued our collaboration with National Fitness Campaign to help bring outdoor Fitness Courts^® to Illinois communities. Eight new courts opened in 2025 are providing free access to exercise spaces, and more than 36,000 Illinoisans can now walk to a Fitness Court in 10 minutes or less.

Nutrition

With grants, community outreach, volunteer events, Blue Door Neighborhood Center locations and other avenues, we’re collaborating with community-based partners to reduce hunger and improve access to nutritious food. 

Blue Impact grants awarded to 27 organizations in 2025, totaling nearly $1.2 million, are expanding access to nutritious food in ways that meet the needs of local communities. New Life Centers, for example, is providing fresh produce and other foods to 6,000 families a month with its Pan De Vida market in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.  

In Springfield, Table of Life Ministries is continuing to use Blue Impact funding to improve food security with approaches that include food backpacks delivered to schools and hot meals served to low-income guests. 

Working with community partners, our Food as Medicine initiative links people with food boxes and programs that help them manage nutrition-related health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. 

Our community outreach team and other teams participated in 535 food events throughout the state, feeding more than 151,000 individuals, and our employees logged more than 5,000 volunteer hours supporting food-related organizations and projects.