CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts, a subsidiary of Centene Corp., announced the appointment of Jay Gonzalez as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2014.

According to a release, Gonzalez will serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for the remainder of 2013, in order to comply with state ethics laws which prohibit him from overseeing CeltiCare's work under existing contracts with the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (Connector). Bob LoNigro will continue to serve as interim President and Chief Executive Officer for CeltiCare until the transition on January 1, 2014.

Effective March 4, Gonzalez will oversee CeltiCare's new business efforts and will assist Centene in business development opportunities in other states, including New Hampshire.

Since 2007, Gonzalez served in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, most recently as Secretary of Administration and Finance. In that role, Gonzalez successfully managed state finances through fiscal challenges and helped the state earn the highest credit ratings in state history. In addition, he served as the Chair of the Board for the Connector. The Connector is the state entity responsible for implementing health care reform in Massachusetts and has served as the model for health insurance exchanges being created across the country under national health reform.

"Mr. Gonzalez is a seasoned executive with a wealth of knowledge around public policy. His leadership will be critical for our New England markets, as well as for Centene as we leverage his expertise with exchange-based solutions nationally," said Rone Baldwin, Executive Vice President, Insurance Group, for Centene.

Prior to joining the Commonwealth, Gonzalez was a partner at the law firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge where he specialized in public finance.

Boston-based CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts is a managed care organization that provides health insurance to Massachusetts residents.

Centene Corp. is a multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides programs and related services to the rising number of under-insured and uninsured individuals.

More information:

centene.com

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