According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the medical and mental health costs of intimate partner violence exceed $4.1 billion a year nationwide.

"The Michigan Blues are working to reach Michigan's young people to help break the cycle of violence in this generation," said Diana Jones, vice president of Community Affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "It's an enormous problem that devastates young lives and raises health care costs. As the state's largest health benefits provider we feel an obligation to help stop the cycle of violence that can begin at a very young age and become a lifelong tragedy."

The Educating and Empowering to Stop the Hurt funding is part of the Michigan Blues' Social Mission Health Initiatives, which aim to improve the health status of Michigan residents by focusing on four key community health issues: Access to Health Care, Depression Awareness and Treatment, Domestic Violence and Abuse Prevention, and Physical Activity and Nutrition.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit corporation, provides health care benefits to nearly 4.8 million members through a variety of plans: Traditional, Blue Preferred and Community Blue PPOs, Blue Choice Point of Service, and the Blue Care Network HMO. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.