Excellus BlueCross BlueShield President and CEO to retire in May 2021

ROCHESTER, NY – Christopher C. Booth, the president and chief executive officer of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and its parent company The Lifetime Healthcare Companies Inc., will retire on May 1, 2021, the company announced today.

Booth has led the $6 billion organization that finances health care throughout upstate New York since January 2013. His retirement is part of a strategically planned succession of executive leadership that Booth initiated early in his tenure as CEO.

“In addition to his knowledge and talent, Chris’ commitment to building a strong corporate culture and having an engaged workforce has led to measurable improvements in business performance,” said Marianne Gaige, chairwoman of the board of directors. “The system of Lifetime Way values and the seven-block strategy focusing on operational excellence and stakeholder satisfaction are a testament to Chris’ vision and will serve this organization well for years to come.”

“When I took this job, I said it was an honor to lead such a talented workforce of people who provide care and coverage for their neighbors,” Booth said. “I’m incredibly proud of all of our employees, our senior leadership team, and the remarkable corporate culture we have built together. That culture is built on collaboration, cooperation and communication. It is what’s helped us navigate successfully through a multi-year transformation of our claims systems, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the launch of innovative partnerships with local health care providers.”

The result is better value for customers.

“From the beginning, we insisted on working collaboratively with those who provide care and those who pay for it,” Booth said. “I believe we have made a difference. It is because of those partnerships that we’ve been able to have a meaningful impact on the cost of coverage resulting in upstate New York’s uninsured rates being among the lowest in the country.”

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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company's mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 3,500 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.