CAHP: Names Former Clinton Health Care Advisor As CEO, President

      Effective today, Walter Zelman becomes the California Association of Health Plans' new president and CEO. "We are extremely fortunate to have someone with such a broad understanding of managed care and strong background in health care policy now leading our association at such a critical time," said Bruce Bodaken, board chair of CAHP. "While he understands the need for appropriate levels of government regulation, he shares CAHP's strong opposition to many of the ill- founded attempts to overly regulate our industry and, like CAHP, he supports policy efforts that promote innovation and improvement which enable managed care to fulfill its promise," Bodaken added. Zelman is former executive director of California Common Cause and former senior health care advisor to President Clinton. As CEO and president of CAHP, Zelman said one of his goals is to improve communication between consumers and the managed care community. "Managed care organizations need to improve their understanding of and responsiveness to consumer concerns; consumers need to recognize the many contributions of managed care in controlling health care costs and improving health care quality," said Zelman. Zelman also served in the state Department of Insurance from 1991-92. As the department's special deputy, Zelman was responsible for formulating and advocating health insurance policy in a variety of areas, such as small group and individual health insurance policies, access to care, cost containment, long-term care and 'Medi-gap' insurance. In this position, Zelman also served as chair of both the commissioner's universal coverage task force and the HIV health care advisory committee. At the consumer advocacy group Common Cause, Zelman focused on campaign finance reform, tax reform, ethics, conflict of interest and insurance regulation and reform (CAHP release, 9/1).