Individuals, small- and large-business representatives, nonprofit leaders and physicians comprise the ballot of candidates for the new HealthyCT board of directors, with online voting beginning Nov. 13.
As explained by HealthyCT, because it is a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan, or CO-OP, “its members will occupy the majority of voting seats on the board of the nonprofit health insurance company.”
The 12 candidates on the ballot hail from across Connecticut. Over the summer, the health insurer began notifying members about the opportunity to serve on and/or vote for the board.
Candidates were able to nominate themselves as long as they were a HealthyCT member in good standing and at least age 18. They also had to pass a background check; have not served on the board of another insurance carrier since 2009; and not be serving as a representative of any state, federal or local government or quasi-governmental body.
A dozen candidates emerged from 13 individual applications and several candidates already serving on the board.
Online voting, managed by an outside election vendor, will open to HealthyCT members via the homepage at HealthyCT.org.
Members also will receive voting instructions and reminders by mail and online during the election. Voting closes at the HealthyCT annual meeting Dec. 17.
The new board will begin its term in January, with at least six of the 11 voting board seats occupied by members chosen in the election.
“This is what truly sets HealthyCT apart from other insurance companies in Connecticut,” said Dr. David S. Katz, president of the HealthyCT board of directors. “The company answers to members in a very real way ”“ not just in providing great health insurance every day, but also by giving them a place on the board that will help determine the direction this company takes in the years to come.”
The opening of voting comes before the start of open enrollment, running Nov. 15 to Feb. 15, for HealthyCT coverage.
HealthyCT opened for business Oct. 1, 2013.
HealthyCT, which bills itself both as the only CO-OP in Connecticut and as the first health insurance startup in the state in more than 20 years, said it “has cleared significant hurdles and celebrated many notable achievements in the past 12 months,” including building a network of 15,000 providers available to all members. HealthyCT also now has relationships with every hospital in the state.
