The Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare is transitioning away from its nonprofit structure, sharing how the country’s biggest health insurance companies are now serving as owners, according to a Jan. 6 news release.
CAQH was originally founded by a coalition of insurers as a nonprofit that offered data services, operating rules and industry research to facilitate collaboration in healthcare. A CAQH spokesperson confirmed the change to Becker’s.
The organization’s board features representatives of shareholders from across the industry. UnitedHealth Group Executive Vice President Timothy Kaja is the chair, and Centene Corp. COO Susan Smith is vice chair. Other board members include CAQH CEO Sarah Ahmad, Aetna Vice President Jessica Conley, Elevance Health Chief Network Officer Paul Eisenstat, Cigna Group Senior Vice President Sachin Joshi, Humana SVP Oraida Roman, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey CIO and EVP Heather Staples. Ms. Staples also represents CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
“CAQH was founded by health plans that recognized the need to take unnecessary administrative costs out of the healthcare system,” Mr. Kaja said. “That same determination to solve hard problems and move the industry forward defines CAQH today. The board’s decision reflects our confidence in CAQH’s ability to keep challenging convention and improving how the healthcare system works for everyone.”
The release added the restructuring will allow CAQH to further advance products and interoperability.
