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Michael P. Freed Named President & CEO of Priority Health

Michael P. Freed is the new president & CEO of Priority Health, one of Michigan’s largest health plans. Freed accepted the position having served as interim president & CEO for Priority Health since May 2012.  He has accepted the position while maintaining his current role as Executive Vice President & CFO of the Spectrum Health System.

“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 Richard C. Breon, president & CEO of Spectrum Health, the parent organization of Priority Health. “Mike’s extensive experience with the financing of health care makes him a clear choice to lead Priority Health in this new and ever-changing health care environment.”  

“Spectrum Health is focused on providing people with access to affordable care and then providing that care when people need it. Some of that we do ourselves, some of that we do in collaboration with others.  In my new role at Priority Health, I plan to continue our focus on achieving the best outcomes and lowest per capita cost in the U.S. If we can achieve that, we can improve our quality while also enabling our employers to create jobs in Michigan,” said Freed.  “Our emphasis on value is one of the reasons Priority Health earned recognition by the Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation as being the state’s benchmark plan ? Priority Health delivers an incredible value to its customers, the community and the businesses of Michigan.”

The Michigan Office of Financial & Insurance Regulation (OFIR) released a report in September recommending Priority Health’s HMO plan be selected as Michigan’s essential health benefits (EHB) benchmark plan beginning Jan. 1, 2014. OFIR endorsed Priority Health’s plan as a framework for all individual and small group plans in Michigan due to its low-cost yet all-inclusive service options.

Freed is a 30-year veteran of health care industry management, having spent the last 17 years serving within Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich.  His leadership experience also includes positions with Central New England HealthAlliance in Leominster, Mass., HealthAmerica in Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh-based HMO owned by Coventry Corp., and Saratoga Hospital in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Freed holds a bachelor’s degree from The State University of New York (SUNY) in Plattsburgh. He is also a certified public accountant.

About Priority Health
Priority Health is an award-winning health plan nationally recognized for creating innovative solutions that impact health care costs while maximizing customer experience. It offers a broad portfolio of products for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. As a nonprofit company, Priority Health serves more than 600,000 people and continues to be rated among the best health plans in the nation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.