Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and TCMS Celebrate 10 Years of Partnership

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and TCMS Celebrate 10 Years of Partnership Through Health Advocacy

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has a decades-long legacy and commitment to reducing commercial tobacco use* and exposure to secondhand smoke through policy and advocacy, community funding initiatives, and programs for our members. In 1994, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the State of Minnesota filed the first lawsuit of its kind against the tobacco industry. The suit was successful and resulted in $241 million to be reinvested by Blue Cross to improve the health of all Minnesotans. Today, Blue Cross continues its role as a funder in addressing the root of preventable disease and death — commercial tobacco use and unhealthy eating — and as a leader in local and statewide policy and advocacy. For the last 10 years, Blue Cross and Twin Cities Medical Society have worked together to provide education and training opportunities for physicians and medical students on public health initiatives and the role of policy advocacy on the local and state level. The partnership began as new tobacco products rapidly emerged in popularity among both youth and adult consumers, such as e-cigarettes, hookah pipes, little flavored cigars, as well as a concern for the persistently high use of menthol products. Physicians felt a need to both properly advise their patients about the use of these products, as well as to help ensure that good public policy existed to limit the potential negative health outcomes from these products. TCMS members have testified at dozens of hearings at the city, county, and state level in support of legislation to limit access to commercial tobacco products, raise the sale age from 18 to 21, and secure dedicated funding for prevention and cessation programs for all Minnesotans. “TCMS has been instrumental in fostering strong relationships between community partners, legislators and its physician members and have demonstrated the role that policy advocacy can play in the health and well-being of their patients’ everyday lives,” explained Chris Matter, senior program manager of community health and health equity at Blue Cross. Blue Cross recently expanded its partnership with TCMS by also focusing on sugary beverages among children, food access, and racism as a public health crisis. “Getting involved with PAN has provided me a community of physicians seeking positive change for better health through policy action,” said Dr.

Advocacy photo frame: Drs. Alex Feng, Caleb Schultz and David Bernstein. Caleb Schultz, MD, MPH. He is an anesthesiologist, practicing at Hennepin Healthcare and a longstanding member of TCMS. “Look for opportunities in your own backyard to raise your voice whether that’s in the schools or through city health boards/commissions. As a physician you can provide a ‘health in all policies’ approach for grassroots-driven change,” said Dr. Schultz. TCMS and Blue Cross’s closely aligned missions have allowed for an exceptionally strong relationship not only with one another, but as members of several key statewide coalitions, such as Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation and Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition. “Through our collaboration with Blue Cross, our physicians and staff have made important public health improvements at the state, county, and local levels for the past decade,” said Becky Timm, TCMS CEO. “Our work together with Minnesota partners, lawmakers, and regulators have improved health outcomes for our state residents and we are proud to be a part of this dynamic team.” *Tobacco use here refers specifically to the use of manufactured, commercial tobacco products, and not to the sacred, medicinal and traditional use of tobacco by American Indians and other groups.

Jenny Song (she/her/hers), Senior Communications and Advocacy Consultant, Racial and Health Equity & Community Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.