Rich Boals, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, has spent the past 42 years of his life with the nonprofit insurer — with 10 of those years at the helm.
He took time out to talk with me about the state of BCBSAZ as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 begins to take effect.
What will be BCBS’ biggest opportunity as health reform laws are implemented? The complexities of the new law are far more extensive than any of us imagined. As we identify problems and issues, we are going to have to work collaboratively with all parties involved to develop workable solutions. This provides us with a compelling reason to communicate with our members, and we hope that they feel the same way and will share their concerns with us. This all will take longer, cost more, and require more cooperation than ever before. This is a priority for us.
What is your biggest concern with the Affordable Care Act? The key for us as a company is to find ways to keep healthcare insurance affordable for our members. While the ACA goes a long way to provide more Arizonans with access to health care, in the short run, it falls short of affordability. Moving forward, everyone will play a role in helping lower these costs. Consumers, providers, hospitals and insurers will have to take the initiative to make better decisions to ensure quality, affordable care.
How have the last 10 years as CEO prepared you for the changes ahead for the health insurance industry, specifically with reform? I have seen a lot of changes to the insurance industry over the years, from the HMO/PPO change in the mid 1980s, which drastically changed the face of health delivery in the U.S., to the addition of health savings accounts in 2003. All of these changes have given me the experience to face the current mandated reforms of the Affordable Care Act head on.
Date: May 24, 2013