Jessica Altman, Pennsylvania’s insurance commissioner, to lead Covered California program
Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman will succeed Peter V. Lee as the leader of Covered California, the agency charged with ensuring state residents get quality insurance coverage at an affordable price.
Lee, the California insurance exchange’s founding executive director, leaves after more than a decade of service.
“We have made tremendous progress in California and across the nation as a result of Peter’s vision, passion and leadership — and because of the great team he has brought together and our state’s commitment to work together on behalf of all Californians,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California’s Department of Health and Human Services. “That work has improved the lives of millions of Californians and meant that Covered California has served as a national proving ground.
Altman, the chief regulator for the nation’s fifth-largest insurance market, chaired the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority. In that capacity, she led the establishment of Pennie, Pennsylvania’s equivalent to Covered California. With her hiring, the leadership title will change to chief executive officer.
“Jessica is an impressive leader with significant experience with the Affordable Care Act, marketplaces and fighting for consumers,” said Ghaly, who also chairs the board of Covered California. “We look forward to her taking the helm of a solid, dedicated team, and the board is excited about the work she will do to carry forward and build on Covered California’s successes.”
Altman, who grew up in the Bay Area, said she was honored to accept the position and praised Lee’s work as the agency’s leader. A record-high 1.8 million Californians enrolled for coverage this year as premiums dropped as low as $10 month because of changes in federal assistance.
“Under Peter’s leadership, Covered California became a national model for the Affordable Care Act always putting consumers first and maximizing the role of the marketplace to transform health care,” Altman said. “I will miss Pennsylvania and am proud of all that we have accomplished together in the Commonwealth.”
During Lee’s tenure, he established Covered California as the largest state-based insurance marketplace in the nation and as a pace-setter for both state and federal health care policies. The agency cited other examples of Lee’s accomplishments:
California has posted the largest drop of uninsured residents of any state in the nation.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of the Covered California team,” Lee said. “Jessica is coming into an organization that is in great shape, with a solid foundation to build on as we enter its next chapter. There is still a lot of work to do in the pursuit of universal coverage and improved access to quality care, and I am confident that Jessica and the entire team at Covered California will continue to deliver on the organization’s mission.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 11:03 AM.
