Joan Budden Named President and CEO of Priority Health

Today, Richard C. Breon, President & CEO of Spectrum Health, the parent company of Priority Health, announced that Joan Budden was named President & CEO of Priority Health, one of Michigan’s largest health plans. Budden accepted the position having served as Chief Marketing Officer for Priority Health since 2009. Budden will assume her new responsibilities in January.

“The future of the health care industry is based on increased competition, consumer choice, innovation and models of care that provide a higher level of quality at lower costs,” said Breon. “Given Joan’s extensive experience in the health insurance industry and the results produced under her leadership as Chief Marketing Officer, she is an outstanding choice to lead Priority Health in this new and ever-changing health care environment.”

“In my new role as CEO at Priority Health, I plan to continue our focus on improving the health and lives of the communities we serve. We’ll continue to offer products and services that keep our members healthy and ensure they have access to high-quality, affordable care when needed; and support employers as they continue to offer competitive benefits for their workforce,” said Budden.

Budden’s responsibilities as Chief Marketing Officer included leading Priority Health’s individual, group commercial and government programs segments. She also led the development of the company’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act strategy resulting in Priority Health being named the state’s benchmark health plan and becoming a statewide leader on the topic of health reform.

Additionally, under Budden’s leadership, Priority Health developed a number of innovative tools and programs that have demonstrated its commitment to consumer engagement and transparency, contributing to the company’s unprecedented growth and ensuring its members have the resources to receive convenient, high-quality care at the best price.

Budden has more than 25 years of health insurance experience. She has held a number of leadership and executive management positions in the health insurance industry that include leading the individual consumer division, project management office and corporate strategy departments for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Budden holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Michigan and a Master’s Degree from Wayne State University. She serves on a number of statewide boards and service organizations.

About Priority Health:
Priority Health is an award-winning, Michigan-based non-profit health plan nationally recognized for improving the health and lives of its members. It continues to lead the industry in engaging members in their health, delivering effective health and disease management programs and working with physicians to improve health care outcomes and performance. Priority Health has been recognized twice by the State of Michigan, as the benchmark health plan for all individual and group plans to model.

Priority Health offers a broad portfolio of health benefit options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Its network of health care providers features 95 percent of practicing physicians available in Michigan and more than 900,000 nationwide.

For more information, visit priorityhealth.com.