Los Angeles Business Journal Names John Baackes Insurance Executive of the Year

L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly operated plan in the country, is proud to announce that John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care, has been named Insurance Executive of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ). The LABJ announced the award yesterday at the publication’s Health Care Panel and Awards, a virtual event that brought together industry leaders for a panel discussion on a variety of health-related topics.

Baackes has been a leader in the health insurance industry for more than 40 years, and, since becoming L.A. Care’s CEO in 2015, he has launched a number of significant efforts to add value to the health plan’s members and providers. The LABJ recognized Baackes for these efforts.

They include deployment of a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, initiatives to address social determinants of health, and a unique collaboration with Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan to jointly operate Community Resource Centers across L.A. County.

The award was announced after a panel discussion covering the current state of healthcare, delivery of care, and COVID-19’s impact on Southern California businesses. James Kyle, MD, L.A. Care’s Medical Director of Quality, was among the panelists.

Kyle detailed many of L.A. Care’s COVID-19 response efforts, including, among many other things, $85 million in accelerated payments to hospitals and more than $21 million in advance Pay for Performance payments to individual providers and Federally Qualified Health Centers serving L.A. Care Medi-Cal members.

You can watch the Los Angeles Business Journal Health Care Panel & Awards here.