Health Check

December 6, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to present Health Check 2025: Analyzing Trends in West Michigan. This report represents the collaborative efforts of Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON), Seidman College of Business, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network, and Priority Health.

This is the 16th year of Health Check and its analysis of data relevant to health and health care in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Allegan (KOMA) counties. The ongoing and consistent examination of this health-related data over time continues to serve as an important tool to inform the decision-making processes and policies of the government, health care systems, education, and business.

Our economic analysis uses data from our insurance provider partners, the American Hospital Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other sources to better understand the economic influence of health care in West Michigan. The evolution of health care trends over time in West Michigan is explored along with benchmarking with other peer communities and the Detroit area. In particular, the insurance provider data on average costs for several conditions provide unique insights into how costs are evolving in our area. In the last 3 years, we have also included the importance of how diverse communities interact with the health care system.

We will continue to study and bring forward data that will help our communities address major issues in health care. We are pleased to play a role in contributing to relevant decision-making in our local and state partner organizations to ensure safe, high-quality, and cost-effective health care planning for our community and hope that you will find these data useful.

Respectfully Yours,