Healthcare Payer Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Serota to Retire

June 06, 2019 - Blue Cross Blue Shield Association president and CEO Scott Serota will be retiring at the end of 2020, the major healthcare payer has announced.

Serota leaves behind a 23-year history at BCBSA, beginning his career in 1996 and becoming president and CEO in 2000.

“I am honored to lead the Association and support the 36 Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies and the 107 million Blue members who count on us to be there when and where they need us,” Serota said in a public statement. “I am eager to continue the important work of improving the health of all Americans—and ensuring a seamless transition to the next leader of the Association.”

Throughout his tenure, Serota has spearheaded numerous initiatives across BCBSA and all of the Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations throughout the country. He has born witness to the healthcare industry’s shift to value-based care models and has implemented key programs at BCBS to adjust to those changes.

In March 2018, the payer announced research initiatives to better understand how the social determinants of health impact patient health and wellness. Through the launch of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Institute, Serota and his colleagues planned to learn more about the social factors that influence patients’ abilities to achieve health.

Additionally, Serota has overseen the rise of the opioid crisis across the country. To ensure its beneficiaries can access high-quality substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, BCBS designed a new accreditation program to designate top-performing facilities.

Launched in 2018, the Blue Distinction Centers for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery program will help patients identify care facilities that have a proven track record for high-quality care, use of evidence-based treatments, and long-term supports.

Serota’s colleagues are singing his praises, noting his contributions during a particularly tumultuous time in the medical and healthcare payer field.

“During an incredibly challenging time in our industry, Scott’s focus has always been on our members and how BCBSA can improve their health and well-being, across 36 companies and every ZIP code in the country,” said Daniel J.  Hilferty, CEO of Independence Blue Cross and immediate past chairman of the BCBSA Board.

“It was a privilege to work with Scott when I chaired the BCBSA Board,” Hilferty added. “I have been inspired by his strategic leadership in health care reform and his vision for innovative solutions like the Health of America reports that give great insight into the health care challenges facing our members and show what is needed to solve those issues. Scott will be leaving a BCBSA that is stronger than ever, and I am so grateful for the time we have spent working together.”

BCBSA Board Chairman Paul Markovich, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California, echoed those sentiments, stating that Serota’s work has been exemplary.

“On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank Scott for his extraordinary dedication and contribution to BCBSA over more than 20 years. His long-term commitment and effectiveness are both exceptional and rare in this day and age. He will be missed when he retires at the end of next year, and I’m pleased that we will continue to benefit from his remarkable leadership until then.”

BCBS has not yet announced Serota’s successor, but the BCBSA Board of Directors has begun its search for a replacement who will be able to lead a smooth transition. Serota will be serving until the end of 2020, and says he will continue to support the BCBS mission.