Highmark Health names Karen Hanlon president

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Name:Karen Hanlon

Previous title: Chief operating officer, Highmark Health

New title: President and chief operating officer, Highmark Health

Hanlon will take the position of president effective immediately, the Pittsburgh-based company said Wednesday. As president, Hanlon will report to CEO of Highmark Health and board chairman of Highmark Inc., David Holmberg, according to the company’s news release.

Hanlon will continue to serve as Highmark Health’s COO, a role she has held since 2018. She will be responsible for overseeing operations across the insurance arm, Highmark Inc., Highmark Health’s health technology division, enGen, andHighmark Health’s health system, Allegheny Health Network.

Those operations include an insurance business that provides coverage for 7.1 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York, as well as dental insurance, and a health network that spans 14 hospitals and additional care sites.

Hanlon has extensive experience with Highmark’s model. She joined the company in 1997 and has held multiple leadership roles, including serving as chief financial officer.

Hanlon’s experience overseeing Highmark's Living Health strategy is particularly salient as the company looks to the future, according to Wednesday’s news release. The program is intended to identify products, solutions and services that can improve members’ health and reduce overall costs.

Like many insurers, Highmark Health has been grappling with higher than expected utilization this year. While Highmark Health still improved its operating performance in the first half of 2025 relative to the year prior, the company said the unanticipated surge in utilization suppressed its operating income.

Holmberg said on LinkedIn last month that he expects challenges related to high utilization to continue — adding urgency to cost containment initiatives, including Living Health.