Several payers named new top leaders in 2023. Notable transitions include Envision Healthcare CEO Jim Rechtin's appointment as Humana's next CEO and former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini's appointment as CEO of Oscar Health.
Here are 28 health insurance CEO appointments and departures in 2023:
- AHIP, the trade association representing the industry, named Mike Tuffin, senior vice president of external affairs at UnitedHealth Group, as its next CEO.
- Quartz named Christine Senty permanent president and CEO. Before taking the CEO role on an interim basis, she was the jointly-owned health plan's vice president and general counsel.
- Medica named Optum-alum Lisa Erickson as its next president and CEO. She succeeds John Naylor, who announced he would step down as CEO earlier in 2023.
- Humana tapped Envision Healthcare president and CEO Jim Rechtin to be its next CEO. He will join Humana as COO in January and transition to the CEO role later in 2024. He will succeed current CEO Bruce Broussard, who announced plans to retire.
- UnitedHealthcare promoted Marcus Robinson to CEO of its individual and family plans business.
- UnitedHealthcare promoted Colleen Van Ham to CEO of its dental and vision divisions. She previously led the company's Illinois operations.
- UnitedHealth Group named Roger Connor as CEO of Optum Insight, along with EVP of enterprise operations and services.
- BCBS Michigan's president and CEO, Daniel Loepp, plans to retire at the end of 2024. Mr. Loepp is one of BCBS's longest-serving CEOs.
- Sendero Health Plans named Sharon Alvis as chief executive officer. She was previously market president for Curative Insurance Company, a start-up payer in Texas.
- BCBS North Carolina named Angela Boykin CEO of Healthy Blue, the company's Medicaid plan.
- UnitedHealth Group named Patrick Conway, MD, as CEO of Optum Rx. Heather Cianfrocco, previously CEO of OptumRx, was named president of Optum.
- Capital Health Plan named Sabin Bass as CEO, replacing John Hogan, who retired from the position after 44 years. Mr. Bass was previously the health plan's CFO.
- Meridian of Illinois, a Centene subsidiary, named Cristal Gary as plan president and CEO.
- UnitedHealth Group named Amar Desai, MD, as CEO of Optum Health. Previous CEO Wyatt Decker was named chief physician at UnitedHealth Group.
- AmeriHealth Caritas CEO Paul Tufano announced he will step down in September. Thomas Hutton, executive vice president and general counsel of parent company Independence Blue Cross, currently serves as CEO.
- Prime Therapeutics promoted Mostafa Kamal as its next CEO.
- Empire BCBS named Victor DeStefano, Empire's former general manager of commercial business, to serve as president.
- BCBS Nebraska named Jeff Russell as president and CEO. He was previously CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa.
- Blue Cross of Idaho named Paul Zurlo as the company's next president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1. Mr. Zurlo has worked for Blue Cross of Idaho since 2016, most recently serving as president of health markets.
- BCBS Tennessee promoted Casey Dungan to president and CEO of the company's Medicaid division, BlueCare.
- Oscar Health named former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini as the company's next chief executive.
- WPS Health Solutions named Wendy Perkins as its next president and CEO. Ms. Perkins joined WPS in 2016 and most recently served as its chief management officer.
- Alameda Alliance for Health, a San Francisco Bay-area nonprofit managed care plan, named Matthew Woodruff as its new CEO.
- Aetna's Oklahoma Medicaid plan named Sonja Hughes, MD, as CEO.
- SelectHealth, the nonprofit insurance arm of Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, named Rob Hitchcock as president and CEO.
- PacificSource Health Plans named John Espinola, MD, as president and CEO.
- Clover Health's former president, Andrew Toy, was named the company's next CEO.
- BCBS Massachusetts CEO Sarah Iselin assumed her new role Jan. 1, 2023.