Posting date: November 29, 2005

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Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w5.558
Copyright © 2005 by Project HOPE

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The Best Of Times And The Worst Of Times: A Conversation With Vicky Gregg

¹ James Robinson is a professor of economics at the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Vicky Gregg is chief executive officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, located in Chattanooga.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans have enjoyed enviable financial success, while much of the health care delivery system has faced severe financial strains. The contrast is striking in Tennessee, where BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee dominates the commercial health insurance market and administers much of the state's Medicaid program, TennCare, while TennCare itself recently dropped hundreds of thousands of enrollees from coverage because of budgetary constraints. CEO Vicky Gregg draws lessons from the TennCare crisis for other states; describes her organization's investment in information technology, pricing policies, and management of new clinical technologies; and explains the continued political popularity of a profitable nonprofit health plan.

Key Words: Access To Care, Business Of Health, Consumer Issues, Insurance Coverage, Safety-Net Systems, Medicare, State/Local Issues, Insurance Market

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