Most of the nation's largest health payers have a single CEO at the helm and operate under one name across many states. In contrast, Blue Cross and Blue Shield payers function as smaller, independent companies, though they are often the largest insurer within their respective state.
Meet the individuals leading the BCBS affiliates in the *West:
Premera BCBS of Alaska
Jim Grazko has been president since 2014 after first joining the company in 1999. Prior to that, he was director of underwriting at Health Net.
BCBS of Arizona
Pam Kehaly has been president and CEO of the company since 2017. Previously, she was president of Anthem's Western region and specialty business and held leadership roles at Anthem Blue Cross California.
Anthem Blue Cross California
Beth Andersen has been president since 2019 after being promoted from leading the company's large group sales. Previously, she held leadership positions at Optum and Aetna.
Blue Shield of California
Paul Markovich has been president and CEO since 2013 after being promoted from COO. He has been with the company continuously since 2002.
Anthem BCBS Colorado
Charles Ritz has been president of the company since 2020. He spent the majority of his prior career at Humana, where he most recently was regional vice president of the West region.
Hawaii Medical Service Association
Mark Mugiishi, MD, has been president and CEO since 2020 after first joining the company in 1995. He previously served as the company's chief medical officer and chief health officer and is the co-founder of the Endoscopy Institute of Hawaii and the Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii in Honolulu.
Blue Cross of Idaho
Charlene Maher has been president and CEO since 2016. Previously, she held leadership roles at EmblemHealth, Medica and Anthem.
Regence BlueShield of Idaho
Mark Ruszczyk has been president of the company since 2021. Previously, he was head of marketing and sales at Kaiser Permanente's mid-Atlantic division.
BCBS of Montana
Collette Hanson was named president in 2020 after being with the company for 35 years. She began as an entry-level claims examiner and has since held several leadership positions, including divisional vice president of sales and account management.
Anthem BCBS Nevada
Mike Murphy has been president of the company since 2006. Previously, he held executive sales roles at UniCare and the company's Kentucky and Indiana divisions.
BCBS of New Mexico
Janice Torrez has been president since 2021 after she was promoted from chief of staff and assistant vice president of external affairs. Previously, she was president of the Resultz Group, a healthcare consulting firm.
Regence BCBS (Oregon)
Angela Dowling has been president since 2013 after being promoted from vice president of sales. Previously, she held leadership roles at UnitedHealthcare and Aetna.
Regence BCBS (Utah)
Jim Swayze has been president since 2017. Previously, he was president and CEO of CNIC Health Solutions in Colorado and held leadership roles at Rocky Mountain Health Plans and PacifiCare.
Regence Blue Shield (Washington)
Claire Verity has been president since 2021. Previously, she was the Pacific Northwest regional CEO at UnitedHealthcare. She has spent the majority of her career with UnitedHealth Group.
Premera Blue Cross (Washington)
Jeffrey Roe has been president and CEO since 2014 after first joining the company in 1996. Before taking the top role, he held leadership positions within the company's employer and individual market segments.
BCBS of Wyoming
Diane Gore has been president and CEO since 2019 after first joining the company in 1985. She has held several key roles, including CFO, COO and executive vice president.
View the BCBS CEOs in the Midwest here.
View the BCBS CEOs in the Northeast here.
View the BCBS CEOs in the South here.
*West is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.