Meet Mike Stuart, Blue Shield of California’s President and Chief Executive Officer

We took a stroll with Stuart for an exclusive first look into the health plan leader’s priorities and purpose and to learn more about his journey and the road ahead. 

Congratulations are in order, Mike, you’re officially president and chief executive officer of Blue Shield of California. As you look back at your healthcare career so far, has there been a defining moment when you realized this was where you were meant to be? 

I always say that health care found me. I didn’t find it or seek it out but had the good fortune of working on a project at a nonprofit, mission-based health system early on, and they ended up hiring me. I remember telling my fiancé, now wife, “There’s something different about this work.” 

I didn't know at the time, but that word was actually “purpose.” I was finding purpose in the work I was doing, and even 20-plus years in, I can't see myself doing anything else. 

How do you define success for Blue Shield, beyond the numbers? 

Thankfully we’ve done a good job with the numbers, but beyond that — our mission is our true barometer for success. Have we actually made health care affordable for our members? Are we improving health outcomes for all? Are we the preferred health plan for providers to work with? And importantly, are we becoming, or are we, a health plan that members love? The more we can confidently answer yes to those questions, the closer we are to true success beyond the numbers. 

When you say, ‘being a health plan members love,’ what does this mean to you? 

When we champion provider partnerships that work for patients and members, drive affordability and improve health outcomes, we become a trusted partner to the communities we serve and set ourselves up to truly deliver on our mission. 

We often hear things like ‘If only if it was easier to find the right provider. If only I could get an appointment in a reasonable time frame. If only when I got a diagnosis somebody could help me figure out my care plan and get me to the right providers.’ When we deliver on that broadly — this is when our members love us. This is when we solve affordability and access issues, and this is what we're focused on. 

 As president and CEO, what is your vision for Blue Shield going forward?  

To achieve our mission and be a health plan members love, we’re focusing on several key strategies.  

• We're advancing value-based payment models and deeper provider partnerships to improve health outcomes while making care more affordable. 

• We’re continuing to pursue our digital-first strategy, using technology to simplify the healthcare system for members and providers alike. Through innovations like our real-time prior authorization process, we’re making access easier and care more sustainably affordable for all. 

• Equally important, our strategy is rooted in innovation. The affordability crisis can’t be solved by small incremental changes over a long period of time. We’re scaling bold solutions — like our digital health record or our new pharmacy model for lower-cost prescriptions — to tackle rising costs and deliver real savings, faster.  

We’re creating a healthcare system that works for our members, customers and provider partners: more accessible, more intelligent and built to serve people. 

Rapid Fire: Hike with Mike 

Favorite way to de-stress? Running for sure, trail running preferably with hills and a great view. 

Favorite hiking trail? More of a bucket list trail, I’d love to hike a big section of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Favorite sweet treat? Mint chocolate chip ice cream, it’s my kryptonite. 

Favorite artist or song? Too many to choose from! Favorite band, probably Pearl Jam.  

Favorite thing to do as a family? Anything outdoors that they’ll actually do with me! I’m married and have three boys, they all like different things — so it’s hard to pin down one thing they’ll all agree on. But if I’m spending time with them, I’m a happy person.