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October 07, 2020 at 01:07 AM
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has named Kim Keck to take over as the organization’s chief executive officer Jan. 4.
Keck is the CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.
She will succeed Scott Serota, who has been with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association since 1995 and has served as the association’s president since 2000.
(Related: Serota to Leave Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association CEO Post)
The association is a Chicago-based organization that represents 36 separate Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.
The companies in the system range from Rhode Island Blue, a nonprofit carrier with 450,000 enrollees, up to Anthem, a publicly traded, for-profit carrier with 42 million health plan members.
Originally, Blue Cross plans were carriers that covered hospital services. Blue Shield plans covered physician services. Over time, most Blue Cross carriers combined with Blue Shield carriers, but, in some places, like California, one company has the rights to the Blue Cross name and emblem, and the other has the rights to the Blue Shield name and emblem.
One of the association’s sources of power is its ability to decide what organizations can use the Blue Cross and Blue Shield trademarks and logos, and where.
The association also helps the Blues negotiate with Congress and federal agencies.
Kim Keck
Keck has a bachelor’s degree in math from Boston College and a master’s degree in business from the University of Connecticut. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst professional designation.
She spent 11 years at Aetna. While there, she served as the president of Aetna’s Northeast region, and later as president of its Southeast region.
