From filling the top tech job at Optum to multiple former UnitedHealthcare CEOs headed to lead new companies, these are 20 payer exec moves reported by Becker's in September:
- Blue Health Intelligence, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's data analysis affiliate, named Divya Srungaram as vice president of product management Sept. 29.
- MetroPlusHealth named Erin Drinkwater as its first chief of government relations and strategic partnerships Sept. 29.
- First Choice Health named Hillary Galyean vice president of enterprise account management and David Agler, MD, as vice president of medical management Sept. 27.
- Cambia Health Solutions named Tracy Wiese as chief marketing officer Sept. 26.
- CareSource named David Donohue CEO of the Arkansas market Sept. 26, where he will lead PASSE, the company's value-based delivery program for Medicaid patients.
- AmeriHealth Caritas selected David Finkel as executive vice president of specialty products and services and strategic business operations Sept. 26.
- Delaware First Health, a Centene subsidiary, selected Bill Wilson to serve as plan president and CEO Sept. 26.
- MetroPlusHealth promoted Lila Benayoun to chief operating officer Sept. 21.
- Optum named Sandeep Dadlani executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer Sept. 20.
- Essence Healthcare, the Medicare Advantage subsidiary of St. Louis-based Lumeris, named Umar Farooq as president Sept. 20.
- AHIP promoted Jeanette Thornton to executive vice president of public policy and strategy and named Kristine Grow as interim leader of public affairs and strategic initiatives Sept. 19.
- The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association named David Merritt senior vice president of policy and advocacy Sept. 19, effective Oct. 24.
- Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield promoted Cassie Bobbitt to director of clinical quality analytics and government programs and named Sarah Mattson director of clinical quality and HEDIS, Arkansas Business reported Sept. 19.
- Humana's board of directors appointed former Intuit CEO Brad Smith to the board Sept. 15.
- Evernorth's former CEO Tim Wentworth was named board chair at Forge Health Sept. 14, a value-based behavioral health provider.
- UnitedHealthcare's former CEO Steve Nelson was named CEO of JenCare Sept. 13, a senior-focused primary care practice.
- Hometown Health, a part of Reno, Nev.-based Renown Health, named Bethany Sexton CEO, effective Sept. 12.
- UnitedHealthcare's former CEO Ken Burdick was named CEO and chair at LifeStance Health Sept. 8, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based virtual and in-person mental healthcare provider.
- WellCare of Kentucky, a Centene subsidiary, named Chirag Patel, MD, its chief medical officer and Marc Nyarko its COO Sept. 6.
- Centene named Ashlee Knuckey as chief ethics and compliance officer Sept. 1.