DETROIT— For the ninth consecutive year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) will award up to one million dollars in grant funding, as part of its Strengthening the Safety Net program, an ongoing effort that the company has championed to help Michigan’s most vulnerable populations get access to better health care. 

Applications are available now, and will be accepted through July 8, 2013.  More than one million Michigan residents currently live without health insurance.  Many rely on locally operated, nonprofit clinics for proper health care. BCBSM’s Strengthening the Safety Net program gives federally qualified health clinics (FQHCs) the opportunity to apply for grants, up to $10,000, to support operations.  It also provides additional grant funding, up to $10,000, to assist in expanding the availability of oral health care, or patient advocacy services. Each clinic can apply for a maximum of $20,000 in grants.   

As the national health care reform law begins to affect how people purchase health insurance and receive health care services, many of Michigan’s free clinics will continue to play a vital role in providing quality health care to uninsured residents across the state. An estimated six to nine percent of the population under 65 are expected to remain uninsured once the Affordable Care Act is fully enacted.  In 2012, 50 clinics in 26 Michigan counties received a free clinic grant from BCBSM. 

For more information on the grant program and the application process, visit: www.bcbsm.com/safetynet.