CAHP Statement: California Association of Health Plans Announces New Chair of the Board
March 20, 2009
Contact: Fiona Hutton
The California Association of Health Plans (CAHP) today announced that Howard Kahn, Chief Executive Officer of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation's largest public health plan, will serve as the Chair of the CAHP Board of Directors until the end of 2010. Mr. Kahn was elected by CAHP's membership for a term that officially began January 1, 2009, though he assumed the Chair's seat for the first time at CAHP's first Board of Directors meeting of 2009 on Wednesday, March 18.
Mr. Kahn brings more than 20 years of health care experience to the CAHP Board, having led non-profit and for-profit health organizations in both public and private sectors.
"The California Association of Health Plans will certainly benefit from Howard's significant experience leading health plans, his familiarity working in both public and private sectors and his proven leadership of collaborations in California and nationally," said CAHP Interim President Charles Bacchi.
Mr. Kahn's background includes significant experience working in the health care industry. Before joining L.A. Care, Mr. Kahn was senior vice president for Latin America and Global Health for CIGNA International. Mr. Kahn has also served as vice president of Aetna's global health care business and vice president and a general manager in Aetna's domestic health care business. In California, Mr. Kahn was founding president and chief executive officer of The California Wellness Foundation, a $1 billion private philanthropy whose mission includes service to underserved communities in California. He was also the founding chief executive officer of the Health Plan of San Mateo, a public health plan similar to L.A. Care Health Plan.
Mr. Kahn pursued undergraduate studies at Harvard College and earned a bachelor's degree in development studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's in public affairs and health policy from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute.
"Here in California, we have a unique mix of private and public health plans that have done some innovative work with regards to quality, access to care, and coverage expansion to the uninsured," said Mr. Kahn. "It's my hope that by working together, California's health plans can have a real impact on health and health care reform, whether at the state or federal level."
CAHP is a statewide trade association representing 39 full-service health plans. Through legislative advocacy, education and collaboration with other member organizations, CAHP works to sustain a strong environment in which our member plans can provide access to products that offer choice and flexibility to the more than 24 million members they serve. For more information, please visit www.calhealthplans.org or call (916) 552-2910.
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For media inquiries, please contact Nicole Kasabian Evans, our Vice President of Communications, via e-mail (nevans@calhealthplans.org) or at 916.552.2914.
